This is a digital copy of a book that was preserved for generations on library shelves before it was carefully scanned by Google as part of a project
to make the world's books discoverable online.

It has survived long enough for the copyright to expire and the book to enter the public domain. A public domain book is one that was never subject
to copyright or whose legal copyright term has expired. Whether a book is in the public domain may vary country to country. Public domain books
are our gateways to the past, representing a wealth of history, culture and knowledge that's often difficult to discover.

Marks, notations and other marginalia present in the original volume will appear in this file - a reminder of this book's long journey from the
publisher to a library and finally to you.

Usage guidelines

Google is proud to partner with libraries to digitize public domain materials and make them widely accessible. Public domain books belong to the
public and we are merely their custodians. Nevertheless, this work is expensive, so in order to keep providing this resource, we have taken steps to
prevent abuse by commercial parties, including placing technical restrictions on automated querying.

We also ask that you:

+ Make non-commercial use of the files We designed Google Book Search for use by individuals, and we request that you use these files for
personal, non-commercial purposes.

+ Refrain from automated querying Do not send automated queries of any sort to Google's system: If you are conducting research on machine
translation, optical character recognition or other areas where access to a large amount of text is helpful, please contact us. We encourage the
use of public domain materials for these purposes and may be able to help.

+ Maintain attribution The Google "watermark" you see on each file is essential for informing people about this project and helping them find
additional materials through Google Book Search. Please do not remove it.

+ Keep it legal Whatever your use, remember that you are responsible for ensuring that what you are doing is legal. Do not assume that just
because we believe a book is in the public domain for users in the United States, that the work is also in the public domain for users in other
countries. Whether a book is still in copyright varies from country to country, and we can't offer guidance on whether any specific use of
any specific book is allowed. Please do not assume that a book's appearance in Google Book Search means it can be used in any manner
anywhere in the world. Copyright infringement liability can be quite severe.

About Google Book Search

Google's mission is to organize the world's information and to make it universally accessible and useful. Google Book Search helps readers
discover the world's books while helping authors and publishers reach new audiences. You can search through the full text of this book on the web

at |http : //books . google . com/

15" ^o

— --:?_

, 2.,^ ^

B I \

V _

(W

ye

PETROLEUM:

HISTORY OF THE OIL REGION

or

VENANGO COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

ITS REBOUBOBS, MODE OT DEVELOPMEHT, AHD VALUBl

EMBBACINO A DISCaSSION OF ANCIENT OIL OFEBATIOHS ;

WITH A MAP, AND ILLUSTBATIONS OF OIL

SCENES AND BOBING IMPLEMENTS.

BY
BEV. S. J. M. EATON,

P18T0E or Xai lUSBTXmiAS CBinOB, nUHKUK, PI.

''The rook poared me out riyen of oil*

PHILADELPHIA:

J. P. SKELLY & CO..

TSa CHESTNUT STREET.
1866.

213723

Entered according to Act of Ck>ngre8S, in the year 1865, by
J. P. SKELLY A CO..
in the Clerk's Office of the District Court lor the Eastern District of Penn-
sylvania.

SnUOTTPED Ain> Printkd bt
Alfred MABtUH

, •: ••; .•. »'t : .; ,-, •
•.: .•: •..' : :•••••.

PREFACE.

This work aims at nothing more than a mere popular
description of the oil region, of the early history of petro-
leum operations, of the manner of boring oil wells, bring-
ing the oil to the surface, and preparing it for use. As
this region is attracting a large share of public attention
it has been thought proper to devote a few pages to its
ancient history; by way of illustrating ita changes, a
brief chapter is also added, bringing down its history
to the period when modern oil operations commenced.

As tiiere is much curiosity abroad as to the manner of
boring deep wells in the rock, and pumping from great
depths, these processes are detailed with great minute-
ness and particularity.

The chapter on the origin of petroleum, although
claiming little originality, is presented with much diffi-
dence. From the circumstances of the case, we are not
likely soon to pass beyond mere theoiy in the matter,
and, with the light we yet have, that presented seems

(iii)

iv PREFACE.

the most plausible and consistent with the facts exhibited
in boring and pumping.

It was manifestly injudicious to attempt to give the
number and production of each well in given localities,
for what would be true to-day would be unreliable next
week, as the development in new wells is constantly
changing the features of particular localities. Conse-
quently a general view is given, in order to arrive at
general results.

The design of the work is set forth on its title page — a
history of the oil region of Venango county, Pennsyl-
vania. It is not by this designed to ignore the existence
of petroleum in neighboring counties, in this or in other
States ; this is admitted, and it is also anticipated that
other regions still may and will develop large resourcea
of oil ; the design is to discuss the matter in its bearings
on this region, where we find the evidences of its earliest
development, and where, as yet, its largest resources have
been brought to light.

Grateful acknowledgments are due to gentlemen who
have aided in collecting materials for this work, and
thanks are hereby given.

The Oil scenes in this volume are from photographs
by A. D. Deming, an enterprising artist of Oil City, Pa.

Franklin, Pa., November, 1865.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I. — The Ancient Histoby op Venango
County.

Interest in this region — Mysterious footprints — Queen Ya-
ga-wa-ne-a — Six Nations — Lookout — Indian god — Strug-
gle between English and French — English claim — French
claim — Fort Venango — Washington's visit — English fort-
First missionary — Ancient names — Frenchman's story —
Cannon 11—23

CHAPTER II.— The Modern History op Venango
County.

Franklin — Character of county — Vicinity of Franklin^
Early settlers — Hardships — First court — Jail — Furnaces —
Rolling mill — Canal — First steamboat — Gkeat frost — Chart
of distances 24 — 37

CHAPTER III. — ^Ancient History of Petroleum.

Tower of Babel — Vale of Siddim — Babylon — Herodotus —
Cartwright — Josephus — Layard — Egypt — Embalming —
Papyrus — Burmah — Italy — Trinidad — Humboldt — Tar
Lake — Texas — Important truths 38 — 43

(V)

VI CONTENTS.

CHAPTER IV. — Antiquity op the Oil Business in
Venango County.

Ancient traces — Oil pits — Mysterious origin — Attributed to
the French — Trees in oil pits — Supposed Indian origin —
No traditions — Apocryphal story — Cornplanter — Great an-
tiquity — Mound builders 45 — 55

CHAPTER v.— Modern Way df Collecting Oil.
Early value — McClintock farm — ^Modern oil pits — Blanket
process — Uses — First shipment — ^Yankee enterprise — Gen-
eral Hays — Salt well — Well in Franklin — Strong hint—
(xjadual advance „ 55 — $1 .

CHAPTER VI. — First Important Discovery.

Idea slowly developed — Use in saw mills — Venango physi-
cian — Bold theory — Failure to- profit — Coal oil — Specula-
tions — George H. Bissell — Eveleth — Colonel Drake — Per-
severance under difficulties — The goal reached — Dreams of
wealth — Excitement — Professor Silliman's report... 62 — 72

CHAPTER VII.— Mode op Procedure.

Prices of Land — Leases — Monopolies of leases — Large com-
panies — Small capital — Individual liability — Abandoned
wells — Serious losses — Effect of flowing wells — Patient
waiting rewarded — Character of lands — High prices —
Wealthy farmers — Millionaires « 73 — 83

CHAPTER VIII.— Preliminary to Borinq.

Choice of site — Pit Hole — Surface indications — Ravines —
Neighboring wells — Black spirits and white — Hazel rod —
Low lands first sought — Value of low lands — High lands
now sought — Base of hills — Region to be explored — Diffi-
culties to be expected.... V, '. 84 — 96

CONTEiraJ. vii

CHAPTER IX.— Mode op Boring.

The first borers — Derrick — Digging — Conductor — Driving
pipe — Boulders — Cable — Bull-wheel — Rods— Boring imple-
ments — Centre-bit — Reamer — Auger-stem — Jars — Temper-
screw — Iron clamp — Power — Spring-pole — Horse-power —
Water-power — Steam-power — Portable engines — Mode of
operating — Sand-pump — Sharpening tools — Surface water
' — ^Water veins — Gas — Oil veins — Mud veins — Different
strata — Discouragements — Breaking Drill — Detaching Drill
— New inventions^Curiosity — Oil or China — Cost of sink-
ing a well— Z bit— Diamond drill 97—125

CHAPTER X.— Tubing and Pumping.

Testing a well — Vacuum found — Copper and iron tubing—
Seed-bag— Difficultiesof adjustment— Pump-barrel—Sucker-
rods — Exhausting the water — Closing of veins — Remedies
— Steam — Torpedo — Case of conscience — Continuous pump-
ing — Air-pump — Muddy oil — Tanks — Steam as heat — Gas
as fael......» 126—140

CHAPTER XI.— Flowing Wells.

New feature— Anxiety for a flowing well — Effects on the
trade — Philosophy of flowing wells — Illustration — Expla-
nation — First flowing well— Sherman well — Loss of oil —
Well on fire — Melancholy scenes — What flowing wells have
done — General good — Often subside — May be pumped—
Danger of closing them — Intermittent wells — The Sunday
well 141—159

CHAPTER XJI.— Means of Transportation.

River transportation — Steamboats — Tugs — Flatboats — Buiki
— Ladder-floats —Pond freshets — Fleet of oil boats — Perils of
the trip— Atlantic and Great Western Railroad — Franklin
Branch — Teams to Franklin — Wagon load — Car load —
Prices — Magnitude of the business — Oil Creek Railroad to
Corry — Philadelphia and Erie Railroad — Franklin and
JamestowA — ^Allegheny Valley Railroad — New routes in
prospect — Direction of shipments — Centralization.

159—172

VIU CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XIII.— Franklin, French Creek, and
Sugar Creek.

Former operations — Number of wells — Evans's well — Gen-
eral depth — A panic in oil — Character of oil — French creek
— Patchel's run — Mill creek — Deer creek — Sugar creek —
Great promise — Cooperstown 173 — 182

CHAPTER XIV.— Oil Creek.

First in the field — Early prestige — Natural features — Pro-
ductiveness — Change from flowing to pumping — Blood
farm — Story farm — Geological features — Deepest well^
Comparative success — Elevated boring site — Cherry run-
Cherry Tree run — Titusville — Banking — Oil City — Latonia
— Growing population — Value of lands — Indian tradition
—The fountain still flowing 183—199

CHAPTER XV.— Allegheny River Territory. '

Extent — Natural features — Two Mile run — Horse creek-
Walnut Bend — Pit Hole creek — Wondrous developments
— Register of strata — Hemlock — Tionesta — Success of lower
Allegheny — Wells comparatively shallow — Islands — Great
promise— Big Sandy— East Sandy 200—209

CHAPTER XVI.— Uses op Petroleum.

Uses not developed — ^As an illuminator — Improvement in
lamps — As a lubricator — As a medical agent — For exter-
nal complaints — Asthma — Consumption — As fuel — Manu-
facture of gas — Paraffine — Faints and varnishes — Import-
ance of refining — CoIoib •. 210—222

CONTENTS. IX

CHAPTER XVII.— REPiNiNa.

-Esthetics of Petroleum — Early reportg — Importance of the
business — Number of refineries — Capital invested —Products
of refining — Stills — Chemicals — Process of distillation —
Deodorizing — Silliman's report — Properties 223—230

CHAPTER XVIII.— Lubricators.

Want of a lubricator — Heavy oil — Collected on the river —
Purified by heat — The Hendrick lubricator — Its character-
istics 231—235

CHAPTER XIX.— Joint Stock Companies.

Early companies — Joint stock company — How organized-
Number of companies — Capital invested — Laws regulating
them — Pennsylvania — New York — Principles and prac-
tices—The true and the false — Status of stockholders —
Caution to be used— Demand for dividends 236 — 248

CHAPTER XX.— Origin of Petroleum.

^Origin — When? — Where? — Testimony of the rocks — Not
mere theory — Vegetable deposits — Heat — Analysis and
synthesis — Different strata — Caverns — Veins only pierced
— The source as yet unexplored 248— :257

CHAPTER XXI. — Permanence of the Supply.

Will the supply be permanent — The ancient supply unex-
hausted—General features of Providence — Tin — Indefi-
nite capacity — Oil still forming — Oil deposits in few locali-
ties — Wells will go dry — New wells will be opened —
Supply of oil variable 258—268

CHAPtI'ER XXII.— Growth of the Oil Business.

Small in the beginning — Rapid increase — Home consumption
— Increase of exports — Statistics — Capital invested — Ex-
ploration stimulated 269—275

Z COKTSNTS.

CHAPTER XXIIL—Pkesent Aspect and Impoet-

ANCE.

Petroleum trade unparalleled—Flourishingcondition—ImporL
ance to manufactures — Barrels — Railroads — Labor — Ad-
vantage to Venango farmers — Influence of the whale fishery
— Influence at home — The oil man — Influence abroad —
National relief — Large tax returns— Future prospects-
Flood of 1866^Great devastation — Business reviving.

276—292

CHAPTER XXIV.— Concluding Thoughts. 293—295
INDEX 296

PETROLEUM.

CHAPTER I.

ANCIENT HISTOEY OP VENANGO COUNTY.

Sudden and unexpected changes are cliaracteristio
of the age in which we live. Progress and development
seem remarkably animated and energetic during this
latter half of the nineteenth century. The sands seem
to run rapidly through the glass, as we approach the
grand climacteric in the world's history. The Almighty
God appears to be opening his great treasure house to
provide for the grand and important changes, that in
his wise and inscrutable Providence, he is working
among us here.

Venango county, Pennsylvania, has suddenly attained
to an interest, unsurpassed by any other region of the
United States. From being one of the most unproduc-
tive and obscure, it has become the first in interest, and
wealth and influence among its sister counties, in all the
broad range £rom the Atlantic to the Pacific. Some
facts and brief notes, therefore, will be of interest in

(11)

12 ***\lTSTEBIOUS FOOTPBINTS.

regard t,o.'ilip ancient history. The landmarks are
becoming indistinct, and the light fading, that years ago,
would hayTe thrown a wondrous interest around this now
popiilaV* region. There are many circumstances that
leafl*to the belief that this portion of the valley of
•^e Allegheny has been the scene of strange and won-
, derful incidents in years long gone by. There are foot-
•pVints yet remaining of a strange and mysterious people,
that dwelt there, and labored there, long before the
advent of the Indian tribes. But a few imperfect foot-
prints are all that remain. Their broad pathway is
almost obliterated by the fast accumulating sands of
time. Tradition is voiceless; history has made no
record ; and we can but wish for the unwritten annals of
the past.

In regard to the possession of this region by the
Indians, it is probable, from what feeble light we have,
that at a very early day, about the close of the fifteenth
century, the whole country extending along the extreme
portions of the shore of Lake Erie, and for some distance
southward, was in possession of a powerful tribe known
as the Eries, and from which it is probable the
lake itself takes its name. Tradition relates that this
tribe was peacefully disposed, and at one time was ruled
by a queen named Yagowannea; who, like the queen of
Palmyra, after ruling with dignity and justice, at length
fell a victim to the jealousy and intolerance of the sur-
rounding tribes.

Schoolcraft relates that the Eries being pressed by
their enemies, gradually moved towards the Ohio, or
Allegheny river, where soon after their council fires
were put out, and they ceased to be known as a tribe.
The date of this extinction was 1653.

SIX NATIONS. 13

That terrible confederacy of the Indian tribes, known
first as the Five, and afterwards as the "Six Nations,"
was formed and extended their conquests far and wide.
From the Mohawk river, they extended their sway west-
ward like the ocean tide, sweeping everything from
their pathway until they reached the Mississippi, kindled
their council fires throughout the whole northern portion
of the Allegheny valley. The Eries were exterminated,
in this path of conquest, as a nation, and their broken
fragments absorbed by these *' Romans of America."

At the time when the Oil regions first became known
to civilized men, the " Six Nations," or, as they were
called by the French, " Iroquois," were in possession of
the land. During the long wars, that continued for
nearly a century between England and France, these
people were generally on the side of England ; and
during the troubles of the Revolution, their influence
was as a general thing with the British. But they too,
soon began to follow in the wake of the Eries. They
are in the sear and yellow leaf. As civilization advanced,
their strength passed away, and now, but a few scattered
fragments remain, one of which holds a limited posses-
sion in the northern outskirts of the oil region, on the
upper Allegheny.

The remains of antiquity that are still found in this
portion of the Allegheny valley, satisfy us, that it was
considered of no small iiftportance in the history of the
past. Franklin, the county seat of Venango, is sit-
uated in a flexure of the Allegheny, and at the junction
of French creek with that river. It is surrounded on
all sides by bold, precipitous hills, rising to the height of
some six hundred feet. On the highest crest of land, on
the Northeastern side of the town, is a reiaarka,ble

14 LOOKOUT. — THE INDIAN GOD.

ancient work, that seems evidently designed as a kind
of "lookout" over the river and creek. From this
point, there is an uninterrupted view of the river for
several miles upward and downward, as well as of
French creek, with all its sinuosities. This work has
something the appearance of the modern " rifle pits."
It is in the form of an inverted cone, about eight feet in
diameter, at the top, and at the present time about six
feet in depth; rudely walled up to the surface with
rough masonry. It is situated at the precise point, most
favorable to secure a view of the valley in which the
toWn is situated, as well as of the creek and river above
and below. It is said that two pits similar to this, are to
be seen, one on the eastern side of the river, and the
other on the southwestern side of the town ; the three
forming a triangle, and together commanding the ap*
proaches to the town, in every possible direction.
"Whether these are the work of the French, during their
terrible struggle to plant and retain their banner all
over this country; or are due to the unhistorical race,,
some evidence of whose sojourn in this valley, will be
recorded in a succeeding chapter, cannot now be ascer-
tained. The more probable opinion, however, is that
their date is anterior to that of the French possession.

About six miles south of Franklin, and nine by the
course of the river, is a rock, a noted landmark in
Indian history. It has long been known to the present
inhabitants as " The Indian god." It is on the eastern
margin of the river, and during freshets is completely
submerged. It is an immense boulder in a deflection of
the river, standing at an inclination of about fifty de-
grees to the horizon, and is about twenty-two feet in
length by fourteen in breadth, with an inscription on its .

\

EKGLISH CLAIM. 15

inclined face. As to this inscription and its interpreta-
tion, we cannot do better than quote from Schoolcraft's
work on the Indian Tribes.

" The inscription itself appears distinctly to record, in
STmbols, the triumphs in hunting and war. The bent
bow and arrow a^re twice distinctly repeated. The
arrow by itself is repeated several times, which denotes
a date before the introduction of fire-arms. The ani-
mals captured, to which attention is directed by the
Indian pictographist, are not diet, or common game, but
^objects of higher triumph. There are two large pan-
thers, or cougars, variously depicted ; the lower one in
the inscription denoting the influence, agreeably to pic-
tographs heretofore published, of medical magic. The
figure of a female denotes, without a doubt, a captive,
various circles representing human heads denote deaths.
One of the subordinate figures depicts, by his gorgets, a
chief. The symbolic sign of the raised hand, drawn
before a person represented with a bird's head, denotes,
apparently, the name of an individual or tribe."

At the foot of the large rock is a smaller one, con-
taining a single figure.

About the close of the fifteenth century, the struggle
commenced between England and France, for the pos-
session of the Allegheny and Mississippi valleys. Eng-
land's claim was set forth in the following language : —

" That all the lands, or countries, westward from the
Atlantic Ocean to the South Sea, between 48° and 34®
of north latitude, were expressly included in the grant
of King James the First, to divers of his subjects, so
long since as the year 1606, and afterwards confirmed
in 1620."* The original ground of this claim was, in

^Colonial Records of Pennsylvania.

16 FBENOH CLAIM.

part, original settlement, but chiefly treaties of purchase
from that wonderful confederacy, the *'Six Nations," that
was found in possession. The French based their claim
upon original discovery by Marquette and La Salle, to-
gether with their construction of their treaties of Kys-
wick, Utrecht, and Aix la Chapelle. But this claim
was based upon very insecure grounds, and seems rather
prompted by ambition and lust of power. They had
at this time possessions in Canada on the North, and at*
the mouth of the Mississippi on the South, and wished
to unite these possessions and thus present a barrier to
the rapidly advancing tide of power that was sweeping
westward under the auspices of England. As early as
the beginning of the eighteenth century, Bancroft tells
us, that " not a fountain bubbled on the west of the
Allegheny, but was claimed as being within the French
empire."

In the summer of 1749, Gallisoniere, then Governor
of Canada, sent Louis Celeron with a party to place
leaden plates along the whole line, extending from Lake
Erie to the mouth of the Mississippi, as evidences of the
French claim to the territory.* One of these was found
buried at Franklin, Pa., bearing the following inscrip-
tion : — " In the year 1749, reign of Louis XV, King of
France, M. Celeron, commandant of a detachment by
Monsieur the Marquis of Gallisoniere, commander-in-
chief of New France, to establish tranquillity in certain
Indian villages of these cantons, has buried this plate
at the confluence of the Toradakoin, this 20th July,
near the river Ohio, otherwise Beautiful river, as a
monument of renewal of possession which we have

^Western Annals.

FOBT VENANQO. 17

taken of said river, and all its tributaries ; and of all
lands on both sides as far as the sources of said rivers ;
inasmuch as the preceding kings of France have en-
joyed it by their arms and by treaties; especially by
those of Ryswick, Utrecht, and Aix la Ohapelle."

By the Ohio, We are of course to understand the Alle-
gheny, and by the Toradakoin, French creek.

In pursuance of the determination to hold possession
of thia territory, the French proceeded to erect a chain
of forts, extending from Presque Isle, or Erie, to the
Ohio river. Fort Venango, one of this chain, was com-
menced in 1753, and completed in April, 1764. We
have an interesting account of the erection of this Fort
in a deposition made by Stephen Coffin, before GoL
Johnston of New York. Coffin had been a prisoner
among the French, and accompanied them on this fort
building expedition. He says that the detachment con-
sisted of three hundred men, and left Canada in Jan-
uary, 1753. After describing the landing at Erie and
the erection of "Fort Le Presque Isle,'* at that place, he
continues: — "As soon as the fort was finished, we
marched southward, cutting a wagon road through a
fine level country, twenty-one miles to the River aux
Boeufe " (now French creek, at Waterford). " We fell
to work cutting timber, boards, &c., for another fort,
while Mr. Morang ordered Monsieur Bito, with fifty men,
to a place called by the Indians Ga-na-ga-rah-ha-re (now
Franklin) on the banks of Belle Riviere, (now Allegheny
river) where the river Boeufs (now French creek,)
empties into it. In the meantime Morang had ninety
large boats or batteaux made to carry down the bag-
gage, provisions, &c., to it. Monsieur Bito, on coming to
said Jndian place, was asked what he wanted or in-
2*

18 WJLSHINaTON*S VISIT.

tended. Upon answering, that it was the intention of
their father, the Governor of Canada, to build a trading
house, for their and all their brothers' convenience, he
was told that the lands were theirs, and that they would
not have them build upon it.'*

Thus far Coffin's statement goes ; but it appears that
the scruples of the Indians were overcome, and the fort
known as Venango was commenced late in the year
1763.

In November of the same year, George "Washington
was commissioned by Governor Dinwiddie to proceed
from Fort Pitt, up the Allegheny to Fort Venango and ^
Le Boeufs, to make observations in regard to the French
occupation, forts, number of men, and probable inten-
tions. In pursuance of this mission, Mr. Washington,
then in his twenty-second year, arrived at Venango on
the 4th of December. The following extracts from his
journal will give some idea of his movements.

" This is an old Indian town, situated at the mouth
of French creek on the Ohio."

" We found the French colors hoisted at a house from
which they had driven Mr.. John Frazier, an English sub-
ject." After obtaining an interview with three officers
from the fort, and the wine, or more probably poor
whisky, having made them social and communicative,
the journal proceeds : —

"They told me that it was their absolute design to

take possession of the Ohio, and by G , they would

do it ; for although they were sensible that the English
could raise two men for their one, yet they knew their
motions were too slow and dilatory to prevent any
undertaking of theirs."

Washington and his little party appear to have

ENGLISH FORT, 19

crossed in the vicinity of tlie upper bridge, and pro-
ceeded to Fort Le Boeufs or Waterford.

We next find Fort Venango spoken of in 1759, in a
letter from Colonel Mercer, English commander at Fort
Pitt. Colonel Mercer had sent two Indian scouts up
to Fort Venango, who reported that there was then
at the fort seven hundred French, and one thousand
Indians, which force was destined to attack Fort Pitt.

In this year (1759) the French finally withdrew their
Ibrces to strengthen Fort Niagara, and untoward events
causing them to abandon their efforts towards holding
the country, they never afterwards undertook the pos-
session of Fort Venango. This fort was situated on the
bank of the Allegheny, about thirty rods below the
present Allegheny bridge. A draught, said to be the
original drawing by the French engineer, is still in
the possession of Wm. Reynolds of Meadville, Pa.

There are the ruins of another fort near the Alle-
gheny bridge, that the old settlers were in the habit of
calling the English Fort. There appears to be consid-
erable confusion of ideas, in regard to this fort. That it
was in possession of the English after the country was
abandoned by the French, is quite likely ; but the pro-
babilities are very strong, that it, too, was built by the
French, after the destruction of the first one. In 1763,
while Fort Venango was in possession of the English <
garrison, a large party of Senecas, on pretence of friend- ^
ship, gained admission, massacred -the garrison, tortured
Lieutenant Gordon, the comniander, over a slow fire, and
finally burned the fort.

Opposite Fort Venango, and on the eastern side of the
river, Henry Decourcy aflGirms on the authority of an old
map preserved in Quebec, that Fort Michault was built

20 FIUST MISSI0NAB7.

about the same time as Venango. In 1757, Monsieur
Chauvignerie, Jr., a Frencli prisoner, testified before a
justice of the peace to the same effect : — " My father
was a lieutenant of marines, and commandant of Fort
Michault, built lately at Venango." Of such a fort,
the oldest settlers can give no information, nor are there
any traces of ruins that can be identified on that side
of the river. It is possible, however, that this may be
identical with what is now known as the English fort,
erroneously placed on the Quebec map on the opposite
side of the river.

In the neighborhood of these forts, some very fine
species of grape were found by the first settlers, and
have been propagated to the present time. One of
these varieties is known as the " Venango " grape. The
cuttings were no doubt originally brought from La belle
France.

We next find a more peaceful mission organized to
visit Venango county. It was in the fall of 1767. A
Moravian missionary, the Rev. David Zeisberger, accom-
panied by two Christian Indians as assistants, succeeded
in penetrating the wilderness, and reaching a point on
the Allegheny near the mouth of Tionesta creek, and
about thirty miles above Franklin. This good brother
appeared among the red men of the forest unarmed,
plainly dressed, and simple in manners, with the one
avowed object, that of doing them good. At first the
missionary was regarded with suspicion, but gradually
won his way into the favor of the people, until a chapel
was built, corn planted, and the work commenced. The
place was called by the Indians " Goschgosking ** or ac-
cording to another authority "(Joshgoshunk.'* An In-
dian prophet, named Wangomen, declaimed against the

ANCIENT NAMES. 21

new religion. Like Demetrins of old, when Paul
preached against idolatry, he saw their craft was in
danger, so that no small stir was excited. The prophet
declared that the Great Spirit was angry at the innova-
tion, and was blighting the corn and driving away the
game, as a punishment for their infidelity. The place
soon became too uncomfortable for the good brethren,
when they sought a new location for their mission, about
fifteen miles farther np the river, at a town called La-
wnnakhannak, probably in the neighborhood of Hicko-
rytown. But the troubles that began at the former
point followed them to the new location. The religious
teachers and medicine men looked upon the strangers
as their rivals, jealousies were fomented, until in the
month of April, 1770, the heroic little band of mission-
.aries were obliged to break up their mission, and with
sorrowful hearts launch their canoes and set out for a
more propitious field. This mission appears to be the
first effort to plant the gospel in what is now known as
the oil region of Venango county.

A word in regard to the names used in the ancient
history of the county, is necessary in this place to
avoid confusion. The Indians and French alike con-
sidered what are now known as the Allegheny and
Ohio as one and the same river. In fact the names sig-
nify the same, in different dialects of the Indian country.
Allegheny is from the Delaware language, and 0-hee-o
from the Seneca, both meaning beautiful water. Hence
the French term "La Belle Riviere" or Beautiful river.
In the earlier periods of the history of the country it
was known as the Ohio. What is now known as French
creek appears to have been known by the Indians as
To-ra-da-koin. By the French it was first called Riviere

22 pbenohman's story.

aux Boeufs, or Bufiilo river, afterwards Venango river,
a corruption probably of In-nan-ga-eh, in the Seneca
language referring to a rude figure carved on a tree,
when first discovered by this tribe. By George Wash-
ington it was re-christened, at the time of his visit in
1753, French creek, which name it still bears. The
change conveys to us something of an idea of the prac-
tical nature of Washington's mind, in rejecting the beau-
tiful flowing Indian name for the common-place modem
one.

It is related by some of the old citizens, that about
forty years since an old Frenchman made his appearance
in Franklin, and put up at the public house of Mr-
Beno. He declared that he had been a French soldier
at the time of the occupation of Fort Venango, and had
in fact been one of its garrison. He seemed to be an
old man, ard on that score there was nothing impro-
bable in his story ; moreover there was an air of honesty
in his appearance' and conversation that challenged the
confidence of the listener. He stated that Fort Ve-
nango was hastily evacuated, and that being unable to
remove all their valuables, from want of transportation,
they ftirew them into a well that was in the middle
of the fort. Among these valuables were some cannon,
that were considered of much importance. Over all
stones were thrown to conceal the deposits from the
knowledge and possession of the Indians. The man
proposed accompanying some of the citizens to examine
the site of the lost treasure on the following day, but v {

during the night he was taken ill, and, lingering some
time, died without any investigation having been made.
A successful search has never been made since that
time.

CANNON. 23

As a relic of the past, the history of a small cannon
that was exhnmed about thirty years ago, may not be
without its interest. It had most probably belonged to
what is known as the " English Fort,** as it was discov-
ered near its side. It was found by some boys, who
were making a slight excavation in the bank, by whom it
was quickly brought from its long sleep to the light of
day. On examination, it proved to be an antique pat-
tern of a four-pounder, without inscription or other
mark that would have proved its nationality. It
had however been spiked, and the trunions broken from
it, in order to render it worthless before being buried up
to enter upon its sleep of a century. The old veteran,
however, soon fell into the hands of a practical gentle-
man, who had the spike removed, and a band put
around it containing new trunions and then mounted on
a carriage ready for new duty. The after history of
this gun was a tragic one. It was brought out for the
purpose of celebrating the anniversary of the Nation's
birth, and the patriotism of the gunners being brimful,
it was charged to the Very muzzle with sand-stone, and,
aa a consequence, blown to fragments.

24 FIRST AMEEICAN GARRISON.

CHAPTER II.

MODERN HISTORY OP VENANGO COUNTY*

We come down to the history of the county in its
relation to the United States Government. In the
spring of 1787, a company of United States soldiers
arrived at what is now Franklin, from Fort Pitt, for the
purpose of erecting a fort to protect the country in its
early settlement. The site selected for this work was a
somewhat novel one. Instead of choosing a point near
the ruins of the old French fort, that would have com-
manded both the Allegheny and French creek, they
planted themselves upon the south bank of French
creek about a quarter of a mile above its mouth, and
just above the old French creek bridge. This work
was in the form of a parallelogram, and including the
outworks, enclosed a surface of about one hundred feet
square. It was surrounded by high embankments of
earth, outside of which a line of pickets of pine logs,
was planted. These pickets were sixteen feet high. In
this garrison, a force of about one hundred men was
kept, until 1796, when a new fort was erected at the
mouth of the creek. It was simply a strong wooden
building a story and a half high, and perhaps thirty by
thirty-six feet in size. It was surrounded by a picket
of pine logs, but had no arrangement for the use of can-
non. There was little fear now from the Indians, for

FRANKLIN. 25

the treaty of General Wayne with these tribes had laid
the foundation of a lasting peace. The fort was garri-
soned by soldiers, however, nntil 1803, when they were
withdrawn altogether. These forts were usually known,
the first as Fort Franklin, and the latter as " the old
garrison." They have fallen to decay now. Something
of the dim tracery of the former may be seen, but the
latter has vanished altogether, and its site is washed
by the restless tide of French creek.

In 1795, an act was passed by the Legislature to lay
out a town at the mouth of French creek. This act
was carried out by commissioners appointed for that
purpose, General William Irvine and Andrew Ellicott,
with what taste and judgment can be best determined by
a reference to the map of the town. The name Frank-
lin, was probably suggested by the name previously
given to the fort. The town extends along the southern
bank of French creek and western bank of the Alle-
gheny. The valley containing the town plot is probably
half a mile wide and two miles in length, surrounded on
every side by bold hills rising to the height of six hun-
dred feet above the river. It is about sixty miles from
the southern shore of Lake Erie, and about seventy
from Pittsburgh, by land, and about double this distance
by the course of the river.

The surface of Venango county is rather broken and
rough. The Allegheny river flows nearly through the
.centre of the county, but such is the structure of the
Idnd, that it runs towards every point of the compass in
its course through the county. Bituminous coal is
found in the southern and western portions, and in al-
most every portion the hills and high lands abound in
iron ore, thai was esteemed of good quality, until the
6

26 OHAKACTER OP COUNTRY.

richer developments of Missouri and Lake Superior"
threw it into the shade. Good water is found in every
part of the county. Beautiful springs gush from the
hill sides, and even arise on the tops of the highest hills.
There is much good farming land, yet the general im-
pression made upon the mind of a stranger, ignorant of
the wealth beneath the rock, would be that Venango
would not be a desirable country to settle in ; and the
impression in regard to Franklin a half dozen years ago
would have been, that its streets would not require
paving with stone, as nature was fast performing that
work with a green carpet of grass.

Franklin is elevated about seven hundred and fifty-
feet above Pittsburgh, so that there- is a fall in the Alle-
gheny averaging about ^ve and a third feet per mile.
From Franklin to Meadville, about thirty miles by
the course of French creek, there is an ascent of
about one hundred and thirty feet, or four and a
third feet on an average per mile. It is perhaps fifty
miles from the great table land, or dividing ridge, that
separates the waters of the Allegheny valley from those
of Lake Eriei

Venango county was taken from Allegheny and
Lycoming counties, by an act of Assembly, passed.
March 12th, 1800, and was organized for judicial pur-
poses, by act of April 1st, 1805. In 1839 its proportions
were somewhat curtailed by the organization of Clarion
county from a portion of its eastern territory. The
county now forms a very irregular figure, with many
angles, and contains about eight hundred and fifty
square miles. The population was, in 1800, 1,130;
in 1810, 3,060; in 1820, 4,915; in 1830, 9,470; in 1840,
J7,900; in 1850, 18,310 ; 1860,25,044.

VICINITY OF FRANKLIN. 27

Besides Allegheny river and French creek, there are
numerous other small streams in the county that have
recently become famous, and that are destined to be-
come historical : amongst these the most important, are
Oil Creek, entering the Allegheny seven miles above
Franklin. Its tributaries are Cherry Run, Cherry Tree
Run, and Cornplanter's Run. Pit-hole Creek, sixteen
miles above Franklin ; Hemlock, twenty-one miles; Horse
Creek, eleven miles above Franklin; Tionesta, thirty
miles above Franklin. Still above these are West,
East, and Little Hickory. The Two Mile Run, is two
miles above Franklin. Below Franklin, and flowing
into the Allegheny, we have East Sandy, Big Sandy,
and Scrubgrass. As tributaries of French Creek, we
have Patchell's Run, Sugar Creek, Mill Creek, and
Deer Creek. These names, although many of them
belong to insignificant streams, are yet most of them
familiar terms, from Maine to the great West, and even
in foreign countries.

Oil City, now a rival of Franklin, the county seat,
like Jonah's gourd, has sprung up almost in a night. It
is situated at the mouth of Oil creek, and lies on both
sides of the creek, extendirfg up the steep bluff, that
rises on the northern side of the creek. It contains
at the present time probably 3000 inhabitants, and is a
place of wonderful activity and enterprise. There " oil
men'* most do congregate. It already contains two
banks of issue and one of exchange and deposit. On
the site of Oil City, a town was laid out about a quarter*
of a century ago, but it did not flourish, and soon fell
into dilapidation and decay. It had anciently a mill,
a furnace, and store, besides a warehouse and steamboat
landing: but after contending for a time against un-

28 EARLY SETTLERS.

favorable circumstances, it yielded to manifest destiny,
and went quietly to sleep, until the opening of the oil
business awaked it to new life and energy. On the
opposite side of the river is situated Venango City, a town
of much promise, and beauty of location.

Further up Oil creek, we have Rouseville, McOlin-
tockville. Petroleum Centre, and other little villages,
scattered along the valley, making almost a continuous
city, from the mouth of Oil creek to Titusville, a dis-
tance of fifteen miles. There are other towns connected
with the oil business, as Tionesta, at the mouth of Tio-
nesta creek, thirty miles above Franklin; Utica, nine
miles above Franklin on French creek; Coopertown,
the same distance from Franklin, on Sugar creek,
and Waterloo, four miles from Franklin, on Big Sandy
creek.

The first settlers of Venango county were a body of
pioneers, and came from various parts of the country.
Some were from New England, some from Wyoming
valley, and many from the middle counties of Pennsyl-
vania. They came, as a general thing, not for the sake
of adventure, but with a view of becoming permanent
settlers; of planting themselves upon the soil, and
making it their home. Amongst the first settlers were
George Powers, Edward Hale, Wm. Connoly, Col. Mc-
Donell, and Samuel Hays. . George Powers came in 1787
to assist in the erection of the fort, and six years after-
wards with a view of settling, and opened a store for
the purpose of trading with the Indians. He was a
man of great enterprise, and spoke the language of the
Senecas with the ease of a native. He was on particu-
larly good terms with Cornplanter, the famous Seneca
chief. An anecdote is related of him, in connection

EABLY SETTLEBS. 29

with his traffic with the Indians. One day a particu-
larly fine fox skin was brought in and purchased, and, as
usual, thrown up into the loft of the store. A few hours
later, another fine skin was purchased, soon after an-
other, and another ; until wondering that so many fine
skins should all appear in one day, an examination was
made, when it was discovered that but one skin had con-
stituted the entire stock in trade, and had been quietly
removed through an upper window at the back of the
store, and resold again and again, until quite a revenue
had been derived from it. The descendants of Mr.
Powers are among the citizens of Franklin at the
present time.

WilHam Con oily came to this county in 1800, and is
still living in Franklin, at an advanced age.

Col. McDowell came to Franklin sometime between
1790 and 1796, from the eastern part of Pennsylvania.
His widow still resides near the place where they first
pitched their tent, and is at present the oldest inhabi-
tant of the place. Edward Hale settled here in 1797.

General Samuel Hays came out in 1803. He was
born in Ireland, but came to America when eight or
nine years of age. He has been an important man in
the political history of the county, and has held at one
time or another, almost every office in the gift of the
people. General Hays was the father of General Alex-
ander Hays, who fell at the head of his brigade during
the terrible battle of the Wilderness, on the 5th of May,
1864.

The early settlement of this region was attended

with many hardships and privations. The roads were

in a primitive state, just as they had been left by the

military authorities. Mills must be erected; iron

3*

80 FIRST COUET — JAIL.

and salt brought from a great distance, and often on ike
backs of pack-horses; grain was sometimes carried on
men's backs to other counties to be ground, and back
again ; cloth must be woven and leather tanned, by do-
mestic process alone ; and all this required labor, toil,
and self-denial.

Said one old pioneer, in quaint and simple language,
** Me, and my woman, come out from Pi^Aburg country,
with all we had on our backs, walking and driving one
little cow. We wrought hard all day, and at night we
had plenty of nice dry leaves, gathered up in the woods
to sleep on.'*

The first court was held in 1805. The court-room
was a log house, fronting the Diamond, and long after-
wards occupied as a drug-store. It was demoliiied in
1863.

At the organization of the county for judicial pur-
poses, "the old garrison" at the mouth of French creek
was used for a jail. This was the only building used for
that purpose until 1819, when a small stone building,
with yard attached, was erected on the Diamond. This
continued to be the receptacle of prisoners until 1853,
when the present jail was erected, and the old building
demolished. This old building was located, a little to
the northeast of the present court-house, the well that is
still used for'wli46i:-!tettt|; within the enclosure of the
yard.

A very important feature in the modem history of
this county was its iron operations. It was once
thought to be particularly rich in this metal, and its
business was the honor and pride of its inhabitants. If
the mines were not so extensive, nor its ore so rich as
more recent developments in other States, they were

FUBNACES. 81

satisfactory in that day, and answered a most admirable
purpose.

What gave a special stimulus and encouragement to
the iron business was the favorable features of the tariff
of 1842, preventing, or at least lessening, the importation
of iron, and enhancing the price of the domestic article.
Capitalists from abroad, as well as at home, were
induced to embark in the business, until, five years later,
in 1847, there was no less than seventeen furnaces in
blast, producing in the aggregate about 12,000 tons of
"pig iron "per annum, valued at that time at about
$380,P00. The power used in these furnaces was in
every case water ; the face of the country being favorable
to the construction of dams, and this being the cheapest
power that could be adopted. The fuel used was exclu-
sively charcoal, and generally manufactured on the
grounds adjacent to the furnaces. Bituminous coal
could not be used at all, as the variety found in the
county is so largely impregnated with sulphur, as to be
destructive to the iron. The consequence was that the
timber was mercilessly destroyed in the region near
these iron works, the result of which can be seen to
the present day, in the small growth of scrubby timber
upon the hill sides.

; Some of these furnaces used "bog ore" exclusively;
yielding less metal, but the product was a very superior
iron for foundry purposes. The amount of capital
employed in the business, during its palmy days, is un-
certain, as many operators used borrowed capital, or
carried on their business through tlie agency of stores,
the merchandize of which was bought on credit, and
paid for when the iron was taken to market and fold,
"A fomace store," in those days, was a peculiar institu-

32 BOLLING MILL.

tion. It contained everything that was wanted in the
county, from a needle to an anchor, and at prices and in
quality that would have put a modern shoddy contractor
to the blush. It was a strange business, a little hard on
the conscience, a little demoralizing to the ancient
canons of upright dealing, and carried on with very doubt-
ful success. It was said in those days, that the only
way in which an ironmaster's probable wealth could be
estimated, was by the same process by which a rattle-
snake's length could be measured, that lay coiled in the
bush — by waiting until he was dead and his condi-
tion brought to light. This, however, was no doubt a
calumny. Many of them were noble, honorable men,
and did much for the development of the county. Many
men who were trying to settle farms, were at that day
dependent on the furnaces for a semi-livelihood in the
interim of seasons, when they could be spared from
their farms. The amount of capital necessary to carry
on these furnaces, was probably about $20,000 each ; or
at the time when most numerous, about $340,000 in the
aggregate.

But a change came. In 1848 a new tariff on iron,
less favorable in its protection to home manufacturers,
was passed, and the business declined rapidly. Some of
these furnaces lingered long in their decline. Perhaps
Horse creek, on the Allegheny, struggled the longest,
but it died at last, and with it the iron business in
Venango county. It will never be resuscitated. But
we should cherish its memory, for it served to keep us
alive until the development of better things.

Another enterprise, connected with the industrial
enterprises of the county, was the Franklin Rolling Mill,
embracing a nail factory. This was erected in 1843,

CANAL. 33

and continued in operation until 1850, when the gen-
eral failure of the furnace business caused its pro]»rietor3
to cease all active operations. This establishment wa3
carried on jinder the firm of " Nock, Dangerfield & Co.,"
and was prosecuted with a good degree of vigor, accom-
panied by the inevitable store, whicli seemed part and
parcel of all iron operations. Its capacity was about
eight tons of manufactured iron per day, or rather five
tons of bar iron and three of nails. Iron of a good
quality was produced, and nails of all the various
grades in use. The capital invested was about $60,000.
The site is now occupied by a barrel and tag factory,
that is doing a flourishing business.

Another item, illustrating the early struggles of the
county, as it awaited the opening of the great petro-
leum business, was the history of the Franklin Canal
Company. It was at first known as the French Creek
Division of the Pennsylvania Canal, and was intended
as a link in the chain of water communication from Erie
to Pittsburgh, and thence to Philadelphia. This link
consisted in building dams on French creek, and thus
opening slackwater navigation between this point and
Meadville, connecting with the Allegheny to Pittsburg.
It was built in 1832-3. But 'about this time other
counsels prevailed in the State legislation, and the work
lost its importance in oflSicial view, so much that the
work was abandoned almost as soon as it was completed.
Only two boats were ever launched on its waters, one of
which made two trips to Meadville, the other but one,
French creek is a large and rapid stream, and subject to
tremendous freshets. It was soon found that the
dams were not sufficient to control it, and before long it
began to fall into decay. The dams gave way, the pools

34 FIEST STEAMBOAT.

were drained, and the locks became useless. It was,
however, kept in running order for descending navigation
for about ten years, when it was finally abandoned.

The construction of this work cost the State about one
million and a quarter dollars, with about fifty thousand
dollars for repairs subsequently. The tolls of course
never paid the expense of receiving them. A flour mill
now uses the power generated by the outlet dam; the
stones that formed the locks have many of them found
their way into cellar walls, and into the public buildings
of Franklin, while some of them yet linger in the dilapi-
dated works where they were originally placed.

But to Franklin and Venango county it was the
fading Uway of a great hope, the tumbling of a grand
castle, that once promised so fairly and beautifully in
the way of future prosperity.

Franklin was formerly considered the head of steam-
boat navigation on the Allegheny. At one time the
navigation was the source of great convenience and
profit. But it had greatly fallen ofiP, at a period just
before the opening of the oil trade. The iron business
had ceased, and navigation was uncertain, owing to the
operation of local causes on the river itself. The forests
at the head waters were falling before the axe of the
lumberman and farmer; the swamps were drying up,
and the volume of water materially lessened. The first
steamboat that was seen in Venango county made its
advent in 1826. It was called the " Duncan," and
was hailed with almost as much enthusiasni and glad-
ness, as was the first boat propelled by steam on the
Hudson. Tradition still relates, that as it rounded the
bend in the river below Franklin, and steamed proudly
up to the landing, miserable little stern-wheel as she

GEEAT FKOST. 85

was, that the welkin rang with the shouts of the multi-
tude. It was on a quiet Sabbath afternoon, but the
occasion was so important, and the era so wonderful,
that nearly the entire population turned out to do honor
to it. And this dream, too,*vanished. The hope of a
great internal trade, through the Allegheny and the
Mississippi rivers, settled down, as others had done
before it, in darkness and disappointment.

And last of all, the lumber trade that nurtured and
strengthened all the northern portion of the county,
began to decline. The pine trees along the margins of
the streams had disappeared, and the finest portions
of the timber lands were deprived of their beauty and
glory, and the whole trade was declining. The Venango
County Kailroad, that had galvanized the county into a
spasmodic kind of life, lingered along, tangible only on
the imposing map of " The Great Air Line Railroad,**
and finally gave up the ghost. Hope was just ready to
die out in the hearts of the people, and it lacked but
one more feather to break the camel's back. It soon
came. The crash was terrible.

This was the great frost of June 5th, 1859. It inflict-
ed a blow upon this and surrounding counties, under
which they reeled and tottered, as from an earthquake.
Ruin and desolation seemed staring us in the face. The
breath of God, usually so pleasant and balmy at this
season of the year, was changed to frost, and the fields
that were beginning to smile for the harvest were
blighted, and all our hopes crushed and trampled in the
dust. The memory of that pleasant Sabbath morning
in June will never pass away from those who witnessed
it. The sweet sunshine was all around, and the calm
blue sky seemed to bend over and bless the earth ; but

36 GREAT FROST — CHART OF DISTANCES.

the fields were blackened and blasted, as thougli the
Sirocco had swept through the valley, and lingered on
the hill sides. Men's hearts failed them for fear — suffer-
ing and famine were just ready to stalk forth with their
gaunt and shadowy train. A deep and heavy gloom
settled over the entire community, and the fear arose
that multitudes of our citizens would be forced to emi-
grate to more propitious soils and more generous climes.
In fact, many of the citizens of the county were making
arrangements to leave for other regions of country, when
the change came, and a beneficent Providence opened up
stores of wealth, such as are unknown to any county
in the Union.

It seems that for more than forty long years, this
region of country has been waiting, like Mr. Micawber,
"looking for something to turn up." But it did seem
as though it waited in vain. One star after another
would come out from the darkness, and kindle in its
brightness, until it appeared as though it would light up
the whole heavens with its glow ; but ere this was ac-
complished it would die out, leaving the heavens darker
than ever. But man's extremity is God's opportunity.
In the August succeeding this dreadful frost, the first
grand development was made of our internal resources.
And the cry was like the cry for bread to the famishing
prisoner. It kindled up new life ; it inspired new hope.
The tide became one of immigration, as multitudes sud-
denly sought the new found oil regions.

The chart upon the following page, giving the distan-
ces from Franklin to all important points in the oil region,
will be found interesting. It was prepared by Mr. Jo. H.
Simoiids, of the firm of Jo. H. Simonds & Co., an enter-
prising and reliable firm of real estate agents in Franklin.

CHART OP DISTANCES. 87

UP THE ALLEaHENY.

Miles.
Franklin to Two-mile Run -{ Reed Run j- 2

(Cornplanter's Run ^
Cherry Run
Cherry tree Run -j Michael's Run j-
, Bennyhoof Run

Pioneer Creek

Bull Run

[ Pine Creek ,

Horse Creek 10

•• " Panther Run —

.. "Vithole Creek... j^i^tSun:! ''

•• " Muskrat Run 18

•• Hemlock Creek 21

" " McCray Creek 25

" " Little Tionesta Creek 28

•• " Hunter's Run 29}

•' •' Jamisson Run 29

r Coon Creek, )
" " Tionesta Creek.. ^ Robs Run, \ 30

( Salmon Run, J

" •* Little Hickory Creek 34

" •• West Hickory Creek 37

" East Hickory Creek 37

" " Maguire Run 40

DOWN THE ALLEaHENY.

Franklin to Lower Two-mile Run 2

•• " East Sandy Creek.

Big Sandy Creek-

Shaw's Run, I K

Hall's Run^ I ••••• ^

11

' Ridgeway Run,
Trout Run,
South Sandy,
^ Little Sandy,

May's Run 15

Big Scrubgrass Creek 18

Schull's Run 24

Little Scrubgrass Creek 30

UP FBENOH OEEEE.

( Homan Run,

Franklin to... \ te.n'fRnn" f WoXn Run, 1 .
1 Patchell 8 Bun.. | ^^^^^^ r„„_ |

Mill Creek.

Deer Creek 11

38 TOWER OF BABEL.

CHAPTER III.

ANCIENT HISTORY OF PETROLEUM.

We come now to speak of the grand and important
production of Venango county. It is called Petroleum
from the Greek words Petros and el^aion, signifying
rock oil. Sometimes it is called simply rock oil: for-
merly it was generally known as Seneca oil, being
brought to the notice of the early settlers by the Seneca
Indians. It is no new article in the world's economy.
It is almost as old as the history of time. It has been
found in various forms, and used for various purposes ;
but in all has ministered greatly to the wants and
comforts of mankind. We read of it in the sacred
writings, the earliest records of man. Profane writers
allude to it, and mention the important uses to which it
has been applied. It appears to have been known
anciently more in the form of asphaltnm than in any
other ; and the first recorded use was in masonry. We have
the first record of its use, four thousand years ago, in
the erection of the tower of Babel. Genesis xi. 3.
The projected building was to be on the plains of Shi-
nar. It was to reach to heaven and stand as an eternal
monument of the wisdom, and skill, and forethought of
its builders. Again, nearly two hundred years later,
we read in Genesis xiv. 10, that " the vale of Siddim
was full of slime pits," referring without doubt to the

HERODOTUS — OARTWRIGHT. 89

springs and fountains of asphaltum, that abound to this
day in that region, and on the shore of the Dead
Sea.

It was also an important material in building the
walls of ancient Babylon. The work was at least in
part accomplished not less than 3000 years ago. Herod-
otus, the Greek historian, uses the following language in
relation to the buildings of Babylon : " Digging a fosse
or ditch, the earth which was cast up they formed
into bricks and desiring large ones they burned them
in furnaces, using for lime, or mortar, hot asphaltas,
or bitumen." He relates further, that this bitumen was
brought from the river Is, a tributary of the Euphrates.

Cartwright, an old traveler of the last century, gives
the following account of his observations at this same
river Is. " From the ruins of old Babylon, we came to a
town called Ait; (the modern Heet) near unto which
town is a valley of pitch, very marvellous to behold, and
things almost incredible, wherein are many springs-
throwing out abundantly a kind of black substance, like
unto tar, or pitch, which serveth all the countries there-
about to make staunch their barks and boats ; every one
of which springs makes a noise like a smith's forge,
which never ceaseth night or day, and the noise is
heard a mile off, swallowing up all weighty things
that come upon it."

A later traveler, Mr. Rich, says, "The principal
bitumen pit at Heet has two sources, and is divided
by a wall in the centre, on one side of which the
bitumen bubbles up, and on the other the oil of
Naptha."

Curtius, Diodorous, Siculus, Bochart, and Josephus,
all speak of bitumen as forming a constituent of those

40 LAYARD — ^EMBALMINO.

mighty walls, and lofty towers, and pens3e gardens,
that were the wonder of the world.

As even more suggestive of some of the scenes of
modern times in the Venango Oil region, we quote
from Layard's " Nineveh and Babylon,'* giving an
account of a bitumen pit on fire. " Tongues of flame
and jets of gas, driven from the burning pit, shot
through the murky canopy. As the fire brightened,
a thousand fantastic forms of light, played amid the
smoke. In an hour the bitumen was exhausted for
the time, the dense smoke gradually died away, and
the pale light of the moon shone over the black
slime pits."

Ana now, after the lapse of thirty-five centuries,
with all that time can do in corroding, and under-
mining, and destroying the work of man, the remains
of these petroleum-built walls and towns still exist.
Occasional fragments of bricks, with the asphaltum
still clinging to them, are exhumed and brought to light.

This substance was also used in Egypt at an
early day, — as early as history furnishes us the facta
of the times. From the accounts, at the close of
the book of Genesis, of the embalming of Jacob
and Joseph, we infer that the matter of embalming
was a common process then, a period of 1700 y^ara
before Christ. Dr. Pettigrew, in his "History of
Egyptian Mummies," tells us, that many of the mum-
mies that he exhumed, had the cavities of the bodies
filled with asphaltum. A French writer, on the:
same subject, quoted by Pettigrew, says these bodies
were often immersed in liquified pitch, a composi-
tion formed of common pitch and asphaltum. Modern
research and observation, would confirm this no-

PAPYBUS. 41

tion of the extensive use of petroleum in the process
of embalming. The color, the odor, the inflammable
nature of the mummy, all indicate its presence. The
cerements, and even the embalmed body itself, often
assist in kindling and keeping up the fire of the
wandering Arab, and sometimes that of the more
civilized traveler.

It was used in other processes in Egyptian art.
An antiquarian friend* relates, that having received
a piece of Egyptian papyrus, with characters in-
scribed thereon, he placed it in the crown of his hat
as the most secure place of carrying the precious
relic to his rooms. On removing the papyrus from hia
hat, he discovered quite an odor of petroleum, that had
been set free by the heat of his head. It is probable
that in the manuifacture of the papyrus, petroleum
had been used in part as an agglutinant, and in part
to prevent the attacks of insects, and the corroding
effects of time.

From those days so ancient, that history would
be dim and obscure, were it not for light from the
sacred page, down to the present time, petroleum has
occupied a place in the arrangements of man, either as
an article of utility or luxury. It has been found crop-
ping out, in some form or other, in every continent and
almost on every island, giving token of its presence, and
dimly foreshadowing its future importance and value.

In more modern times it has been found in Burmah,
in Zante, in the north of Italy, and, in fact, almost
always in the neighborhood of volcanoes; sometimes
issuing through the earth, and at others bubbling up

♦ L. G. Olmstead, LL. D.
4*

42 TAB LAKE. — TEXAS.

through the waters of the sea. Perhaps the most
remarkable natural fountain of petroleum of which we
have knowledge, is on the Island of Trinidad, in the
"West Indies. It is known among the inhabitants of
the island, as the Tar Lake. Bitumen in a hot state
is continually boiling up, until it has formed a lake
three or four miles in circumference. In the centre,
or at the mouth, of the fountain, the oil is hot and
liquid, but as it recedes in every direction, it gradually
cools and thickens until on the shores it becomes solid.
This petroleum lake is now in the hands of a London
company, who will soon bring its exhaustless wealth into
the market. Humboldt also reports the spontaneous
product of petroleum in the West India islands to
be large, and as it runs to waste, it covers a large sui>
face of the sea with its unctuous tide. This report was
made in 1799.

Many years ago, a newspaper correspondent reported
that within an hundred miles of Houston, Texas^
there was a small lake or pond, a quarter of a mile
in circumference, in the centre of which issues a fountain
of petroleum boiling up from the bottom, evidently
from some fissure in the rocks, and affording an indefi-
nite supply.

The field is large. The source of supply exhaustless.
It has evidently been a product of earth from the begin-
ning. It has been one of God's great gifts to his crea-
tures, designed for their happiness; but kept locked up
in his secret laboratory, and developed only in accord-
ance with their necessities. And now in our own day,,
and in these ends of the earth, the great treasure house
has been unlocked, the seal broken, and the supply fur-
nished most abundantly.

IMPOETANT TBUTHS. 4S

- It has always been a feature of the economy of Provi-
dence, that the stores of his bounty are brought to light
just as they are needed. The minerals of earth have
lain hid in its bosom until absolutely needed. Men
have walked over the gold fields of the world, without
discovering their value, until, in the scheme of Provi-
dence, some great change was about to take place,
requiring the treasure, and then it has been brought
to light. Men walked over these hills and through
these Venango valleys ignorant of the precious treasure
that flowed beneath, even though it was suggested by
a thousand bubbling springs by the wayside, and a
thousand rainbow tints upon the surface of the creekg
and rivers. But, during this latter half of the nine-
teenth century, a call was to be made upon the treasures
hidden beneath the surface of the soil. A terrible
struggle was approaching, in which the nation's life
should be at stake; republican institutions are to be on
trial. Other nations are to be spectators of the strange
and terrible conflict. Not only blood but treasure is to
be poured out like water in the nation's cause, and in
the cause of civil and religious liberty; and so God
opens the store-houses he has prepared against the day
of sore trial. The gold fields of California, and Nevada,
and Idaho, and Arizona pour their riches into the
nation's coffers; the fountains of petroleum gush forth
ip wondrous exuberance; private enterprise is rewarded;
tiie revenue of the Government is wonderfully enlarged;
exports to foreign lands prevent the drainage of the
precious metals from our midst, and there is kept up
a just equlibrium in the trade of the country. Who
can doubt but that in the wise operations of God's
Providence, the immense oil resources of the country

44 ANCIENT TRACES.

have been developed at this particular time, to aid in
the solution of the mighty problem of the nation's des-
tiny? The treasures of the earth all belong to the
Lord, and he uses them for his own wise purposes, and
for the promotion of his own glory.

CHAPTER IV.

ANTIQUITY OF THE OIL BUSINESS IN VENANGO OOUNTT,
PENNSYLVANIA.

The oil region of Western Pennsylvania, and par-
ticularly Venango county, is the portion of oil produc-
ing territory that now occupies the largest share of
attention. It is true that oil wells are successfully
worked to a limited extent in some other counties, still
Venango county has, thus far, monopolized almost the
whole number of really valuable oil producing wells in
this region. '

As a product of this portion of the country, this re-
markable substance became known to civilization some-
time about the middle of the last century. The chief
source of supply was on Oil" creek, and was collected in
small quantities by the Seneca Indians, and used by
them in mixing their war paint and in the medication
of wounds. In the latter capacity it became known to
the earliest white settlers, and was used by them for
almost all external injuries, as well as taken occasion-
ally as an internal remedy. Still the supply was neces-

OIL PITS. 45

sarily limited, as we shall hereafter have occasion to
notice.

There are some strange facts in connection with this
region, that point to a history all unwritten save in some
few brief sentences, in pits and excavations, of oil ope-
rations along the valley of Oil creek, and near its mouth
on the Allegheny. These detached jfragments, like the
remains of the Sybilline oracles, but cause us to regret
more earnestly the loss of the volumes that contained
the whole record. A grand and wonderful history has
been that of this American Continent; but it has never
been written in the archives of time. The actors in its
shadowy scenes have passed away in their shadowy
grandeur, leaving but dim footprints here and there
to tell us they have been, and cause us to wonder at
the mystery that veils their record, and to muse upon
the evanescent glory of man's earthly history.

Along the valley of Oil creek are clear traces of
ancient operations. Over sections embracing hundreds
of acres in extent, the surface of the land has, at some
remote period of time, been excavated in the form
of oblong pits, from four by six, to six by eight feet in
size. These pits are often jfrom four to six feet still in
depth, notwithstanding the action of rain and frost for
so many years. Some of these pits appear to have been
of a circular or oval form, but all to have been exca-
vated with care, and with reference to one design.
They are found in the oil region, and over the oil
deposits, and in no other place ; affording unmistakable
evidence of their design and use. The deeper and
larger pits appear to have been cribbed up with timber
at the sides, in order to preserve their form, and better
to adapt them to the end in view; this cribbing was

46 MYSTERIOUS ORIGIU.

rou frilly done. Tlie timber was deprived of its bark,
halved, and rudely adjusted at the corners. In one
instance, as workmen were excavating the earth pre-
paratory to the erection of a saw mill, in a soft, marshj
place, one of these circular pits was discovered in the
form of a well, perhaps four feet in diameter, with the
walls lined with timber set up vertically. These tim-
bers were twelve feet in length, indicating a well of
that depth. This well, of course, was filled up nearly to
the surface with mud and sediment; but indicating the
same design as those before described. The timbe* had
the bark removed, but was apparently sound and free
from decay. In the immediate neighborhood of this well
there is about an acre covered with these ancient works.
In one of these a tree was felled, upon the stump of
which eighty concentric circles or growths were counted,
indicating its probable age. This was half a century
ago. This record of the forest trees is not unjfrequent
among these oil pits. Farther up the creek, upon the
septa that divide them, and even in the pits them-
selves, trees have grown up more than one foot and a
half in diameter, with as many as two hundred of these
growths, indicating an antiquity ante-dating the earliest
records of civilized life in this region. For centuries
has this treasure been afibrding intimations of its pre-
sence. Before Columbus had touched these Western
shores, was it gathered here, in this valley, as an article
of utility or luxury, by the processes of design and labor,
and with the idea of use, traffic, and emolument.

By whom were these excavations planned and these
pits fashioned, that tell of the search for, and the col-
lection of, petroleum so many years ago? Let the
miglity dead that are slumbering in our valleys, and

ATTBIBUTED TO THE FRENCH. 47

the remains of whose fortifications and cities are yet
scattered all over the great West, as magnificent, as
vast, and gorgeous as the ruins of Nineveh and Babylon,
arise and speak, for they alone of mortals can tell.
Here is a question for the antiquary quite as interesting
and greatly more mysterious than any that pertains to
the ruins" of ancient Europe, or Asia, or Africa. Con-
cerning the latter we have dim and misty records. The
memory of the past is kept alive either by historical
records, or by reasonably reliable tradition. We know
who *built the walls of Babylon, and sculptured the
winged lions of Nineveh. We are acquainted with
the people, their language, and manners, and customs,
who lived in Pompeii and Herculaneum. But of those
who toiled, and lived, and loved, and died in these oil
valleys we know absolutely nothing. Their origin,
' their race, their language, their religion is shrouded in
darkness and mystery that is impenetrable. We have
but the dim footprints, we can measure them approxi-
matively ; but cannot tell whence they came, or whither
they have gone. Not a date has survived them, not a
tradition has remained among any people that have
survived them, that would satisfy us as to their history.
From the fact that some of these pits have been
cribbed with timber bearing marks of a cutting instru-
ment in its adjustment, many have assigned them a
modern origin, and supposed that their construction was
due to the French, who, at one time, occupied to a cer-
tain extent the Venango oil region. But this theory
is scarcely plausible, and certainly not tenable. Fort
Venango was completed by them on the present site of
Franklin in 1754, and this was probably about the
beginning of their active operations in this region. But

48 TREES GROWING IN OIL PITS.

tlie constniction of these pits no doubt ante-dates the
French operations very many years. Timber placed in
these oil pits, and thoroughly impregnated by its pre-
serving properties, would be almost proof against the
ravages of time. As evidence of this, petroleum, in
some of its forms, entered largely into ingredients used
in embalming by the ancient Egyptians; their embalmed
bodit'8 remain perfect to this day. Even the cerements
remain distinct and perfect in every fold, and crease, and
thread, as they were arranged in days when Israel was
toiling under the oppression of the taskmaster, render-
ing day by day " the tale of bricks."

There is evidence, too, from the growth of timber in
the very beds of these excavations, that they claim an
aiitiipiity greater far than the occupation of these valleys
by the French. There are as large trees growing among
and upon the oil pits, as in the surrounding neighbor^
hood, and there is no special reason to suppose that these
were the first trees that sprung up after the abandon-
ment of the work. Those now found there were, some
of them, not less than two hundred years old, and it
would be as unreasonable to suppose this period marks
the date of the construction of these works, as that the
reputed age of the oldest trees on any of our table lands
marks the date when the country emerged from choas.
These trees, however, undoubtedly indicate that these
operations were not carried on later than their growth
would indicate. Year after year, a silent, solemn record
was made by the concentric circles, first in the shrab,
next in the sapling, and then in the fully developed
tree, that tells of the lapse of time since these mysteri-
ous works were in operation.

Besides this, where was the market for the immense

FRENCH OBiaiN NOT TENABLE. 49

quantity of petroleum that must have been produced
from these excavations, on the supposition that they
were constructed by the French? Surely not in Canada
or France, for neither in the misty traditions, nor early
records of that time, do we find reference to any large
quantity of this product* nor had they facilities for con-
veying it to the seaboard, had there been a demand for
it at home.

The sole object of the French at that time was to gain
military possession of the country. This was the de-
clared object, as seen from their records and military
correspondence. It is seen in the line of forts thrown
across the country jfrom Erie, Pennsylvania, extending
through Waterford, (Fort Le Boeuf,) Franklin, (Fort
Venango,) to Logstown, a point on the Ohio river
below Pittsburgh. There is no evidence that they made
any attempt, either to cultivate the soil, save in a tem-
porary way, or to develop the mineral resources of the
country. Another objection that is fatal to this theory
is, that, at this time, the Jndians were exceedingly
jealous of the encroachments of the pale faces. They
watched their movements with the most unslumbering
vigilance. The homes of their children, and the graves
of their fathers were in danger; and it is beyond the
bounds of credulity to suppose that they would have
permitted them to carry on these operations for years,
turning up the soil, cutting down the timber, and dese-
crating their hunting grounds, when their overpowering
numbers could easily have prevented it at any time.
At a much later day the Indians claimed this unguent
as one of the special gifts of the Great Spirit to his red
children, and they would have as readily tolerated the
driving away of their game, and destruction of their

60 SUPPOSED INDIAN OBIGIN.

corn, as the carrying away the "medicine" given fhem
to heal their wounds, anoint their joints for the wilder-
ness march, and adorn their bodies for the war path.

Another theory, that has been somewhat popular, is,
that these pits are due to the labors of the American
Indians. But the very term labor seems absurd when
used in reference to these lords of the forest. They
never employed themselves in manual labor of any hind.
They scorned it as unworthy their dignity and indepen-
dence. The female portion of the community planted a
little corn, and constructed rude lodges to shelter them-
selves from the wintry blast; but they never even
dreamed of trade or commerce. The Indian loved to
roam through the wilderness, to hunt the red deer and
follow the war-path — ^to seek for game to supply present
wants, or to bring home the scalp of his enemy as a
trophy of his prowess; but would scorn to bend his
strength to rude toil in excavating multitudinous pits
for the reception of oil, or in bearing it from place to
place after it had been secured. They had no imple-
ments in their possession when first known to the civil-
ized world, either for excavating or for cribbing the
work when excavated, and it is preposterous to suppose
that their civilization was of a higher type, or their
knowledge of the arts more extensive at any former
period of their history.

Beyond all doubt the Indians were well acquainted
with the existence and many of the properties of petro-
leum. That they valued it is beyond a question. They
used it both for medicinal and for toilette purposes.
But they knew of its existence and production just as
the earlier white settlers did : they found it bubbling up
from the bed of the stream, and from the marshy places

NO PEOOF OF INDIAN OBIOIN. 51

along its banks. They, no doubt, collected it in small
quantities, without labor and without much forethought,
and with this small supply were content. The surface
oil would more than answer all their purposes. But
even if a much larger supply had been desirable, and if
the modern idea of traffic had found a place in their
hearts, they had no facilities for conveying it from place
to place. Even at the present time, with all our im-
provement in the arts, and with all the stimulus of
enterprise and demand, the great desideratum is an
appropriate vessel for carrying petroleum jfrom place to
place, or retaining it safely in any locality ; but the
Indians were utterly destitute of any appliances suitable
for the purpose. If they were acquainted with a rude
kind of pottery, it was without glazing, and unsuitable
for containing fluids, particularly petroleum. Fragments
of pottery are still found in these valleys, probably due
to the labor of the Indian squaws, but it is brittle and
exceedingly porous — hardly capable of being used as
drinking vessels; and we have no knowledge of their
ability to construct vessels of any other material that
would answer the desired purpose. The inference is
therefore fair,^ that, for purposes of trade, the production
of oil was not desirable in so large quantities as indicated
by these excavations.

The same reasons would hold good in reference to its
use in the religious ceremonies of the Indians. It could
be used only in limited quantities, from the want of con-
venient receptacles for its retention and carriage. Be-
sides, we doubt whether the Indians were sufficiently
devout to resort to such labor and pains in religious
worship. Nor would the Indian character readily dis-
play itself in this form of worship. It partakes too

52 APOCRYPHAL STOBY.

much of the ideal and sentimental. They sometimes
worshipped the sun, but the oblations were generally in
the form of a sacriiioe laid upon the altar. The victim
usually offered by the Senecas was a white dog, and
there is no reference in any well established account of
anything like fire-worship, a form that seems to have
been Persian in its origin.

In support of the theory of Indian origin, reference is
sometimes made to a letter said to have been written by
the commander of Fort Du Quesne (Pittsburgh) to Cten.
Montcalm, describing a grand scene of fire worship on
the banks of Oil creek, where the whole surface of the
creek, being coated with oil, was set on fire, producing
in the night season a wonderful conflagration. But
there is room for the suspicion that this account is apo-
chryphal. Such scenes as are there described have been
witnessed on Oil creek since the beginning of the modem
oil trade. During the continuance of several accidental
conflagrations, the scene has been awfully grand and
impressive. It has been strongly suggestive of the con-
flagration of the last day, when

"The lightnings, barbed, red with wrath,
Sent from the quiver of Omnipotence,
Cross and recross the fiery gloom, and bum
Into the centre; — burn without, within,
And help the native fires which God awoke,
• And kindled with the fury of his wrath."

But these terrific scenes were when hundreds of barrels
of oil had been stored up in tanks, and when the com-
bustible fluid was spouting from the wells, mingled with
columns of gas, at the rate of many hundred barrels per
day. Before the present deep wells were bored, oil was
not produced in sufficient quantities to cause such a con-

COBNFLANTEB. 53

flagration, and previous to the date of modern oil opera-
tions, there was never seen upon the creek a stratum of
oil of sufficient consistency to be inflammable.

The remains of the once powerful confederacy of Indi-
ans known as the " Six Nations" still linger in Western
Pennsylvania, in a^ region not very remote from Oil
creek, and at the time this region was settled by the
present inhabitants were found in great numbers, but
they can throw no hght upon the origin of these pits.
In regard to their history they can give no more infor-
mation than they can concerning the mounds and fortifi-
cations, ruined castles and dismantled cities, that tell us
of a once glorious past, of a mysterious decadence, and
of the utter vanity of all merely earthly glory.

There are men still living in the oil valley who were
on terms of familiar intimacy with Complanter, a cele-
brated chief of the Senecas — ^the last of a noble and
heroic line of chieftains that had borne sway from the
Canadas to the Mississippi, — and who was living at
the time of the French occupation of the country. He
had been in his time a mighty man of war — was born
about 1735 — ^was with the French and Indians at
Braddock's defeat in 1755 — at the Wyoming massacre;
but afterwards became the friend of the white man.
His home during the last years of his life was on the
Allegheny, about seventy miles above Franklin. Here
he died in the year 1840 or 1841, at the age of about
one hundred and ^ve years. Complanter, although
allied to the white race, and having their blood in his
veins, was essentially an Indian in all his feelings and
instincts. He was an eloquent orator, a shrewd tacti-
cian, a bold warrior, and possessed the entire confidence
of his own people. He was one of the great men of the
5»

54 GBEAT ANTIQUITY.

dusky races that are now so rapidly passing away. For
nearly a century he had had intercourse with the chiefs
and braves of different tribes, and was well versed in
their traditionary lore; but in reciting his own deeds
and memories, and those of his fathers who had gone to
the silent hunting grounds of the spirit land, he could
say nothing of early oil operations, any further than the
collection of it in small quantities for medicinal or orna-
mental purposes. Of French operations on Oil creek he
could say nothing, and on the origin of these pits he
could throw no light. This would be inexplicable on
the theory that they were due either to French or Indian
labor. And finally these ruins presented the same
appearance precisely to the early settlers, who appeared
amid these scenes seventy years ago, that they do now.
They appeared as ancient then as now — ^the same traces
of a bygone age, the rounded outline, the absence of any
recent traces of labor, the luxuriant growth of timber on
the pits, and on the ridges that separated them — there
has been little change.

The only rational conclusion, therefore, at which we
can arrive in regard to these early oil operations is, that
they are due, not to the Indians, or French, or early
white settlers, but to some primitive dwellers on the
soil, who have long since passed away, leaving no written
records to tell of their origin or their history, but stamp-
ing the impress of their existence on our mountains and
in our valleys, assuring us of their power and the mag-
nificence of their operations, yet leaving us to wonder
that such strength could fail, that such magnificence
could perish, and that such darkness could settle over
the memory of a great people.

There are such remains of antiquity scattered all over

MOTJKD-BUILDERS. 55

this continent; sometimes they are of a military char-
acter, sometimes of a peaceful nature. In all the ordi-
nary trees of the forest are found growing upon and
around them, apparently of the same kind and of the
same age as those found in the unbroken forest. We
can ascribe them all to the same age and the same
origin — the age an indefinite one ; the origin, a race of
people who, for want of a better name, are sometimes
called *' mound-builders."

CHAPTER V, ^

MODERN WAY OP COLLECTING OIL.

As before intimated, petroleum was found in Venango
county by the earliest white settlers, and was esteemed
for its medical properties. But it was found only in
minute quantities. It was found in particular localities
along Oil creek, in the town of Franklin, and other
places along the banks of the Allegheny, just where
there happened to be fissures in the rock permitting it
to escape. It would be found issuing with the water
from springs, sometimes bubbling up from the bottom
of the river in small globules, that, rising to the surface,
disperse themselves upon the water and glide away in
silent beauty. Many such indications were seen in the
creeks and rivers. A drop of oil would escape from the
rocks or gravel beneath, and, accompanied by its gaseous
attendant, would appear like an air-bubble until it

56 UODEBN OIL PITS.

reached the top, when a beautiful surface would be
jnopoTited on "the water, reflecting all the colors of the
rainbow. Tlicse hints had been indicating the presence
ol' the immense treasure house beneath for ages, yet no
wild dreaiQcr seized the idea, for the time .had not yet
arrived for the revelation and the use.

Many families drew their supply from little springs
of water on the river bank, contiguous to their dwellings.
This was done by simply damming up the little spring
and skimming the oil from the surface when a thin
stratum had accumulated. But the principal oil spring,
or that from which the largest quantity of petroleum
was collected, was located on Oil creek, about two miles
from its mouth. This was on the " McClintock Farm,"
so much celebrated in the history of modern petroleum
operations, and whose possession at the present time
would be equal to the patrimony of the great "king-
maker,'* the last of the Barons. From this point the
main suj)ply was drawn for . the wants of the earlier
inhabitants. And as the demand was limited, no great
amount of enterprise was called forth in its production.
The capital invested was small, the labor demanded in
carrying it on was limited in its amount, the modus
cpci'andi was most primitive, and yet, withal, the results
were satisfactory.

A point was selected where the oil appeared to bubble
up most freely, when a pit was excavated to the depth
of two or three feet. Sometimes this pit was rudely
walled up, sometimes not. Sometimes it was near the
edge of the water on the bank of the stream, sometimes
in the bed of the stream itself, advantage being taken
of a time of low water. In these pits the oil and water
would collect together, until a stratum of the former

BLANKET PROCESS — FIEST SHIPMEKT. 57

would form upon the surface of the latter, when a coarpe
blanket or piece of flannel was thrown in. TLls blanket
soon became saturated with oil, but rejected the water.
The blanket was then taken out, wrung into a tub or
barrel, and the operation repeated.

But the people of that day knew nothing of oil excite
ments. There was little consumption. The demand
was limited. It was always a drug, in the figurative
sense, in the market. Most families through the country
kept a supply for their own use; yet for all ordinary
purposes, a pint bottle was sufficient for a year's con-
sumption. Every good housewife was supposed to have
a small store of " Seneca Oil," as it was popularly called,
laid by in case of accident, for the medication of cuts, and
bruises, and burns ; and not even the most popular of the
nostrums of the present day is so much relied on as was
this — Nature's own medicine — by the earlier settlers in
those valleys. It was carried abroad in small bottles to
distant neighborhoods, as a sovereign remedy for

, " The thousand natural shockfl,

That flesh is heir to,"

until eventually it was purchased by the druggists, put
up in small vials and labeled sometimes " British Oil,'*
sometimes "American Oil," or " Eock Oil," according to
' the popularity of the terms at the time and place.

The first shipment of petroleum was to Pittsburgh,
and on this wise. Mr. Gary, one of the first settlers on
Oil creek, possessing perhaps a little more enterprise
than his neighbors, would collect or purchase a cargo
of oil and proceed to Pittsburgh, and exchange it for
commodities needed in his family. This cargo consisted
of two iave gallon kegs, that were slung one on each

58 YANKEE ENTERPRISE.

side of a horse, and thus conveyed by land a distance
of seventy or eighty miles. It was a small beginning,
bnt "tall oaks from little acorns grow." The little one
has become a thousand. From the same region are
shipped now about thirnteen thousand barrels per day.

Sometimes the market in Pittsburgh became very
dull, for a flatboatman would occasionally introduce a
barrel or two at once, that he had brought down on
his raft of lumber or logs. At other times the demand
fell off, so that the purchase of a barrel was hazardous.
On one of these latter occasions, a Yankee having taken
down a small quantity, and not finding a purchaser,
employed a friend to go around the druggists in the
evening and inquire for Seneca Oil, and manifest a
strong anxiety to obtain it. The result was, that on
calling the next morning, the Yankee found a ready
sale for his stock on hand.

At a period somewhat later than this, General
Samuel Hays, who settled here in 1803, relates that
at one time he purchased all the oil produced in the
country, and that the highest annual yield was six-
teen barrels. This oil he sold at the time in Pittsburgh
at about one dollar per gallon.

In the meantime a well was bored on the bank of the
Allegheny, near the mouth of Horse creek, twelve miles
above Franklin, in quest of salt water, with the view
of manufacturing salt. This was some forty years
ago. After sinking the well through the solid rock to
the distance of seventy or eighty feet, oil presented
itself in such quantities, mingled with salt water, as
to fill the miners with disgust, and induce them to
abandon the well altogether. They were boring for
salt, not petroleum. Salt was an article of utility

WELL IN FBANKLIN. 59

and large demand, and would be remunerative; oil
was of comparatively small importance, and already
a drug in the market through the spontaneous yield
of nature, and so the well was abandoned as an in-
tolerable nuisance.

Another link in the chain : about thirty years ago
a well was dug in the town of Franklin for the supply
of a household with water. At the depth of about
thirty feet, there were evident signs of petroleum.
The supply soon became so great as to be. annoying
to the workmen, and by the time it was completed
the clothing of the principal man engaged was so
saturated with oil that he went to the creek to indulge
in a bath, and, at the same time, send his oily clothing
down the current as worthless. A hole has since been
sunk through the rock in the bottom of this well, but
the success has not been as good as in other wells in
the neighborhood. The depth, however, was not as
great as in some others.

Another instance still is recorded on the opposite
side of French creek. It was in constructing the lock
for the Franklin canal. In the excavations that were
made prior to commencing the masonry, there was the
same trouble from the flow of petroleum. The masons
were ignorant of the part this substance had played
in the masonry of Babel and Babylon, and execrated
it as a nuisance, and were almost ready to abandon the
place in disgust. And in general, there were several
wells in the neighborhood that bore a trace of oil both
to the smell and taste, that was absolutely offensive
to those unaccustomed to them.

In all the cases cited above, were strong hints of the
existence of the treasure concealed in the rocks beneath.

60 STEONa HINTS.

and even of the manner of obtaining it. The treasure
was, in fact, knocking at the door, and asking to be
released, in order to contribute to human enjoyment
and wealth. But the time had not arrived for the en-
joyment of this great boon, although it was approaching
step by step. The earth was at first made the reposi-
tory of all the gifts that man should need until the
end of time, either in a perfect or crude form. But
they were not all revealed at the first, nor to succeed-
ing generations, until the fitting time arrived, and
man's necessities, and the world's condition, induced
the great Giver to unlock the treasure house, and dis-
pense the rich bounty.

Before man was created, the great store-house in the
earth's bosom was filled with its minerals, and as the
centuries rolled by, in their slow and solemn march,
these treasures were gradually brought to light. Not
at once did the earth disclose her mighty resources;
but just as man needed them, and as they should tend
to his own best interests, and the glory of the great
Giver. Even on the banks of the river that watered the
terrestial Paradise gold was found, yet, although "the
gold in that locality was good,'* it was brought to light
in limited quantities. In the same sacred locality, and
at the same early day in the history of time, *' the bdel-
lium and onyx stone" were found in their beauty, yet
were they few and rare until God would consecrate the
treasures of the earth to his own service in the con-
struction and adornment of the Tabernacle and Temple.
The great treasure house was then opened until gold
became common as brass, and precious stones numerous
almost as the pebbles of the brook, and the riches of

GRADUAL ADVANCE. 61

the earth became eternally consecrated to tlie service
of God.

In the present century, and also within our own
recollection, when the world's business seemed to be
stagnated; when the sails of commerce flapped idly
at the mast; when the great highways of trade and
traffic were in danger of becoming deserted, and the
coffers of the nation were almost exhausted, and fearful
times of war and peril to the nation's life impending.
Providence unlocked the golden treasures in our Western
States and Territories, and every department of business
has become prosperous, and every branch of industry
received a new impetus. A new lesson has been taught
the world: that God's treasures are inexhaustible, and
that his hand can never be shortened.

And now here, in this remote county of Western
Pennsylvania, so humble and so poor in agricultural
resources, God's treasure has been concealed for ages,
locked up in the very heart of the eternal rock, await-
ing the time of need, and accomplishment of the eternal
purposes of Omnipotence. It has oozed forth, in limited
quantities, during the lapse of centuries, as if to show
us now, that man cannot lay his hand upon the house of
God's treasures until his own appointed time.

We know not where the great Chemist has his labora-
tory, or where he formed the treasure ; most probably
they were fashioned when the earth assumed its present
form ; and since " the morning stars" sang creation's
hymn together, deep down amid earth's rocky caverns,
through the revolving centuries, the stores have been
accumulating thafr are destined to bless the world, and
become elements of national wealth.

And now, from that great laboratory, through innu-
6

62 IDEA SLOWLY DEVELOPED.

merable channels, cut through the living rock by the
Creator's hand, and by *' paths which no fowl knoweth,
and which the vulture's eye hath not seen,'* is that
treasure brought to the earth's surface, just in our time
of need. When other supplies are failing, and other
resources giving way, we see God's wisdom manifested
in opening up new channels. The. gceat Benefactor
would teach us that however straitened we may be, he is
never confined, that his resources are unlimited, that for
every emergency in our history there is provision made,
and that our time of need is but the beginning of his
overflowing bounty.

CHAPTER VI.

FIEST IMPORTANT DISCOVERY.

It is really strange how slow men were to discover
the abundance of this supply, and to trace it to its
luxuriant deposit amid the rocks. While it was literally
forcing itself upon their observation, it was only by a
roundabout process they discovered its richness and
importance. It had been hitherto used almost exclu-
sively as a medicinal agent, but gradually necessity was
forcing it into use as an illuminator under certain cir-
cumstances. Above and around the oil valley the lum-
ber busineas occupied the attention -of many. In the
saw mills work was often carried on at night, rendering
artificial light necessary. Some practical sawyer re-

VENANGO PHYSICIAN — BOLD THEOBY. 63

solved to try the experiment of burning Seneca Oil, as
it was still called, in the mill. The mill being an open
structure, the huge volume of smoke, that arose from
the flame was no particular objection, and the light was
tolerably satisfactory. Thus the pressure began to be
applied to the idea, and the stimulus was having its
effect.

J^erhaps the first real conception of the modern petro-
leum business, had its origin in the mind of a young
physician in the Venango region. It was certainly a
natural one, yet withal original. Yet it was but a
dream, and, like many another dream of the past, it was
in advance of the age, and resulted in nothing but specu-
lation. From boyhood he had been familiar with oil
developments, as they have been described in these
chapters, and now that a demand was increasing above
the supply, his mind was attracted anew to the subject.
In looking at the numerous slight veins of oil that oozed
up along the bed of Oil creek and the Allegheny river,
the thought occurred to him, that by tracing these little
veins to their source the main artery might be reached.
And as this tracing must be through the rock, the proper
plan would be to bore down through it, until a large
vein or perhaps the main artery was reached. Here
was the whole modern oil business in a nutshell — ^the
bud nicely rolled up in its folds that has developed into
such a luxuriant flower. The process of reasoning was
certainly professional, and, now that it has been tested,
seems a very plain, simple idea. But it was like the
theory of Coldmbus in regard to a new continent —
entirely too bold for the times, and was rejected as pure
speculation. There was in this physician's theory but
one link lacking in order to have anticipated the entire

64 FAILUEE TO PEOFIT.

scheme of oil production, as it was afterwards generally
carried on. The idea did not suggest itself to hinn that
the lands along the valley of Oil creek might be leased
for oil purposes, and thus his embryo idea be carried out
to his profit; he thought only of purchase. And as
physicians in the oil valley at that time could not com-
mand the capital that some of them can at the present,
the scheme was abandoned, and the idea was lost as far |ui
the bold originator was concerned. The idea, however,
was a brilliant one, and entitles its author to be classed
among the long line of those who have dreamed without
realizmg the vision, and who have sown valuable seed
without reaping the harvest. Nor is this the only in-
stance in which the bold thinker and the enterprising
theorist have failed of entering upon the enjoyment of
the substantial benefits. Those who have reaped the
golden harvest, and gathered most freely the luxuriant
sheaves now so thickly strewn throughout the oil valley,
have generally been those who have entered second-
hand upon the work, and taken the places of earlier but
less fortunate laborers. Many an old well, whose der-^
rick is now falling to decay, and underneath which liea
buried, worthlessly to him, all the available means of
many an honest, industrious farmer or mechanic throughr-
out the land, will yet yield, a golden harvest, when some
person of capital shall have undertaken its thorough
development. Many an honest, enterprising man, in
traveling over the oil region, may say with the old Bard
of Mantua, " Sic vos non vobis nidificatis aves."

As early as the year 1835, the presence of petroleum
amid the rocks was made known on the Allegheny river,
a short distance above Pittsburgh, by its interference
with the salt wells, but no dream of its future impQr<^

COAL OIL. 65

tance seems to have forced itself upon either the miner
or the capitalist until within the last few years. There
is one notable instance of this fact. A salt well had
been pumped for salt water for years, without the pre-
sence of petroleum. With the intention of securing a
greater supply of water, a larger tube was inserted and
a more powerful engine applied, when, to the astonish-
ment of the proprietor, in a day or two, petroleum in
considerable quantity made its appearance. Perhaps
many an operator in the oil region at the present time
may take a hint from this idea that will be of practical
importance.

In the meantime, artificial oil had begun to be pro-
duced in large quantities from different minerals, princi-
pally, however, from cannel coal, by the process of
destructive distillation. * This oil was refined and de-
odorized, and found to be a valuable illuminator,
Cannel coal is found largely in Beaver county, in the
western part of Pennsylvania; also in Butler and Ve-
nango counties. It is peculiarly rich in oil, a single ton
yielding by distillation forty gallons of oil. The process
was carried on by placing the coal in huge iron retorts,
inclined at a small angle* to the horizon, and applying
heat. About the year 1858, this business began to as-
sume a vast and growing importance, and capital began
to seek it out with great avidity. Cannel coal was in-
quired for, and lands on which it was found rose rapidly
in price. In Venango, near to the oil valley, it came to
the recollection of a farmer, that, in digging a well for
water, the workmen had come upon a singular stratum
of laminated black rock. Its value was unknown, and
the only purpose to which it had been applied was in
the manufacture of covers for the good housewife's milk
6*

66 MORE SPECULATIONS.

crocks. The new inquiries brought to light the fact thai
the strange substance was cannel coal, and the land waa
sold at a good price.

A spirit of inquiry and investigation was excited.
It was ascertained that this artificial oil, the product
of distillation, was almost identical with the natural oil
of the valleys — that the latter might be distilled and
deodorized by the same processes as the other, and if
found in sufficient quantities, be produced at less ex-
pense, and become a source of comfort and wealth to the
country. The manner of collecting the natural oil waa
thought over and discussed. The mode adopted in
bygone ages was considered by many — that of excava-
ting numerous oil pits and collecting with blankets ; but
the process seemed tedious and expensive, and hardly
remunerative ; in addition to this, the finer portion of
the oil was in danger of passing away by evaporation^
owing to so large an extent of surface being exposed to
the action of the atmosphere. As the earlier inhabitants
had collected it this did not so much matter, the
heavier portions of the oil being most desirable for their
purposes ; but as an illuminator, it was of the highest
importance that the finer por^ons should be preserved
as far as possible.

The grand idea, however, was struggling towards the
light. It could not be retarded. If oil, now so greatly
desired, bubbled up through concealed clefts in the rocks,
why might it not be found in large quantities by boring,
in favorable localities, deep into the very rock that
was conjectured to be its home? Why not storm the-
rock-bound castle, and at once seize upon the prize?
And if discovered in some localities while boring for
salt water, where there had been no outside manifesta-

GEOBGB BISSELL — ^EVBLETH. 67

tions, why not expect to find it more certainly in locali-
ties where such decided surface indications had always
been found?

This brings the matter down to 1853, when a new
feature was developed in the business, which gradually
ripened into the present system of operation. It had ita
origin with George H. Bissell, Esq., a gentleman of great
intelligence and worth, and a graduate of Dartmouth
College, N. H. From Mr. Bisseirs interest and enter-
prise in the matter, he is justly considered to be the
pioneer in the petroleum business. The inception of his
interest seems to have been in this wise : Being shown a
small vial of crude rock oil from Oil creek, gathered on
the lands of Dr. Brewer, then of Titusville, he became
greatly interested in the matter, and learning all he
could of its locality and appearance, sent a young man
to Oil creek to make an investigation. The report being
favorable, Mr. Bissell determined to examine the subject
more fully.

About this time Mr. Eveleth joined Mr. Bissell in the
enterprise, when they proceeded together to Oil creek.
This was in 1854, and while there they purchased from
"Brewer, Watson & Co.," for the sum of _five thousand
dollars, the territory where the principal oil springs
were found, and also procured from the same company a
lease of all their remaining lands in Venango county for
ninety-nine years, without royalty.

Operations were then commenced by digging pits and
ditches, and pumping the oil and water into vats. This
was done by water-power derived from a saw-mill.

Soon after this a few barrels of petroleum were for-
warded to Prof. Silliman, of Yale College, with directions
ta make a thorough analysis and examination of the oil,

68 COLONEL DRAKE.

with the view of ascertaining, as far as possible, its com-
mercial uses and value ; furnishing him at the same time
with all the necessary aids, particularly a photometer on
an improved plan. After some months of labor and ex-
periment, Prof. Silliman presented, as the result of his
labors, a report, which was published by Eveleth & Bis-
sell in 1855.

They then organized a joint stock company in New
York, under the style of the " Pennsylvania Rock Oil
Company," but soon after this company was re-organized
at New Haven under the same name, of which Prof.
Silliman was elected President, Of this company, Eve-
leth & Bissell, from first to last, continued to hold the
controlling interest. Under its auspices the plan of
ditching and pumping was continued until 1857, when
various plans were submitted for further development,
and the question of boring an artesian well generally
advocated. The directors, however, were not harmo-
nious. Finally some members of the Board submitted a
written proposition to sink a well at their own expense,
provided they could have a lease of forty-five years, the
lessees paying the parent company twelve cents per
gallon for all oil produced. This was agreed to, and the
lessees selected Col. E. L. Drake, who had purchased a
small interest in the stock, as their superintendent and
agent.

Soon, after Col. Drake, furnished with all necessary
funds, started for Titusville, two miles below which the
springs were located. Operations were slow. There
was neither experience nor the success of those who had
succeeded before to assist. The Colonel should be re-
commended to the proper authorities for a Brigadier, if
not a Major-Generalship, for the nomination would surely

PEBSEVERINCE UNDEB DIFFICULTIES. 69

be confirmed by a congress of oil men. This boring
commenced near the upper oil springs, in the northern
portion of Venango county. There was a great hope
here, but it was a hope that required strong faith to
keep it alive. Still the Superintendent hoped on, and
the partners, Eveleth & Bissell, like earnest men that
they were, continued undismayed by the difficulties that
gathered around. It required strong courage to begin
and continue the work. The very announcement of an
intention of boring into the earth, or rather into the
solid rock, was sufficient to provoke mirth and ridicule^
The enterprise appeared" to many quite as visionary as
that of Noah did to the antediluvians, in building his
ark against an anticipated inundation. It* was supposed
by many that the object of search was salt water for the
manufacture of .salt. Occasionally a salt lick was found
in the low lands, and this object appeared a natural one.

However others might have thought, the company
and their agent thought only of finding Bock Oil, as
it was generally called, with perhaps a shadow of a
thought that if they failed in this salt might be found.

It was like the inception and preparatory operation
connected with all great and important works here —
carried on ainid struggles, and discouragement, and
fears. There was the grand idea struggling to the light;
there was the determined purpose developing itself;
there was the new era just on the threshold, and the
whole rested with one earnest, resolute heart. There
was the pressure of the one great thought, that by some
mysterious power had got possession of the man's heart,
urging him forward, and likewise on the other hand
there was the dread of failure, the fear of ridicule — ^the
shadow that Mis so heavily upon men's hearts from

70 THE GOAL BEACHED.

time to time, when in pursuit of some uncertain objccir—
and these things kept up the struggle with greater qt
less power. It reminds us of grand old Martin Luther
at the Diet of Worms, crying out, " Here I stand.
I cannot do otherwise. God help me. Amen I" So
all grand ideas are wrought out, and all grand purposes
carried forward under the mysterious guidance of a
power, that seems invincible in its operations.

But the work went forward through good report and
through evil report, particularly the latter, in spite of
all difficulties, and in face of all obstacles. Slowly,
patiently, hopefully, did the steel chisel work its way
through the hard rock, stroke by stroke, until August
28th, 1859, when, at the depth of seventy feet, the drill
suddenly sank into a cavity in the rock, and imme-
diately there was evidence of the presence of oil in large
quantities. The shout of the weary laborer, was like
the cry of "Land hoi" among the weary disheartened
mariners that accompanied Columbus to the Western
World. And with more reason might that quiet, think-
ing colonel, at that moment, have rushed through the
neighborhood, crying " Eureka! Eureka I" than had the
old Grecian Archimedes, at the solution of his mathe-
matical problem, as he lay amid his quiet lucubrations
in the baths. The goal had been reached at last. A
pathway had been opened through the rocks, lead-
ing, not to universal empire, but to realms of wealth
hitherto unknown. Providence had literally forced on
man's attention that which should fill many dwellings
with light, and many hearts with gladness.

Upon withdrawing the drill from the well, the oil
and water rose nearly to the surface. The question was
now to be tested whether the petroleum would present

DBEAMS OP WEALTH. 71

itself in sufficient quantities to justify farther proceed-
ings, or whether this was like many another dream, to
vanish in darkness, or dissolve in tears. Perhaps, after
all the labor, and anxiety, and hope deferred, the quest
was like that of the treasure supposed to be hidden in
the earth by pirates' hands, coming in sight only to
vanish when within grasp. Bat the time of waiting
was not long. The well was tubed, and, by the aid of
a common hand-pump, yielded ten barrels per day.
The dream was realized; the vision was fulfilled.
Faith was rewarded. By means of a more powerful
pump, worked by a small engine, the quantity was in-
creased to forty barrels per day. The engine worked
day and night, the supply was uninterrupted, and the
question was considered settled.

This oil well at once became the centre of attraction.
It was visited by hundreds and thousands, all eager to
see for themselves, and test by actual experiment the
wondrous stories that had been related concerning its
enormous yield, by counting, watch in hand, the seconds
that elapsed during the yield of a single gallon. Oil
at this time was worth one dollar per gallon, so that
the fortune of this pioneer in the business was consid-
ered settled, and impulsive men began to dream of an
interest in this new source of wealth, and of purchasing
shares in Colonel Drake's oil well, and from this the
idea extended to the enterprise of boring other wells.
The arithmetic employed was on this view ; forty barrels
per day were multiplied by three hundred working
days in the year, making twelve thousand barrels per
annum, and this multiplied by forty dollars per barrel
footed up the handsome sum of four hundred and
eighty thousand dollars as the annual yield of the well.

72 EXCITEMENT.

It might be added here, that the arithmetic and the facts
did not agree, as the experience of oil men since will
assert; but the matter looked plausible enough then.
Nor was it strange that men's pulses quickened, and
their hearts beat more rapidly than was their wont, at
the apparent development of this new order of things.

The work now commenced in earnest. A tide of
speculators and operators began to set in toward the
oil regions, which would have overpowered that of Cali-
fornia or Australia in their palmiest days. Nor did the
excitement stop at the valley of Oil creek. It extended
down the Allegheny to Franklin, and up to Tideoute.
It was soon felt up French creek, and the Two Mile
run, and eventually down the Allegheny for several
miles below Franklin. Wells were sunk in all these
localities, many of them yielding from two to forty
barrels per day. Still the excitement was limited in its
extent. It was long before it could make its influence
felt in the Eastern cities. Capitalists there were slow
to believe the marvellous stories that were told of the
Venango oil regions, and kept aloof from the excite-
ment. But it gradually worked its way eastward until
Philadelphia, New York, and Boston, with the regions
represented by them, were enlisted in the work.

It need hardly be said here that on the successful issue
of the attempt to find oil in the rock, the partners,
Eveleth & Bissell, at once set out for the Oil creek
region. For them the vision was realized, and fortune
expanded in a long, brilliant vi^a before them. These
gentlemen continued to identify themselves with the
petroleum business together, until the death of Mr.
Eveleth in 1863, since which time Mr. Bissell has
continued his connection with it, either alone or in com-

PBICES OP LAND — ^LEASES. 73

pany with other parties. It is a pleasant task, too, to
chronicle the success of these gentlemen, not only in
developing the business, but in reaping substantial fruits
from their connection with it.

The report of Professor Silliman referred to, is full
and clear, yet, as he had nothing but the thick surface
oil before him for examination, the result was somewhat
different from what it would have been, had he been in
possession of the light oil now found amid the rocks.
Still he recommended it as a most promising illuminator
as well as lubricator.

CHAPTER VII.

MODE OP PROCEDURE.

The age of Petroleum had fairly dawned. The
fortune of the valley of Oil creek was now settled,
and the price of lands throughout its whole extent,
from the new well to the Allegheny, immediately rose
to a very high figure. Sometimes entire farms were
sold, but generally they were leased in very small lots.
The terms of lease were at first easy, the operators giving
one-fourth or one-fifth of the oil as a royalty to the
owner of the soil. Gradually the terms became more
exacting, until not unfrequently one-half and even five-
eighths of the oil was demanded, with the addition of a
considerable sum of money as a bonus. Sometimes the
proprietor of the soil required the proposed operator
7

74 MONOPOLY OF LEASES.

to furnish him his share in barrels; that is, not only
turning him over a third or a half of the oil, but
furnishing him the barrels- to contain it. With this
arrangement, it afterwards come about that as the
price of oil fell and the price of barrels advanced,
the entire proceeds of some wells would hardly pur-
chase barrels to contain the royalty share pertaining to
the owner of the land. The consequence was, that
all such wells were either closed, or the leases modified
80 as to be adapted to the new order of things.

These leases were usually drawn for an indefinite
time, but required th^ lessee to commence operations
by a certain time, and to prosecute the same with a
reasonable amount of diligence, either to success or
abandonment ; and generally there was a clause to the
effect that if petroleum was not found in paying quanti-
ties within one year from date of covenant, then the
lease was forfeited, and the full control of the land
reverted to the owner.

This matter of leasing land for oil purposes, at one
time, amounted to a monopoly in some sections of the
oil valley. The landholders in many places were men
in very moderate circumstances. By great frugality,
they had been able to live comfortably, but had no
extra means with which to embark in speculations.
Sometimes they had neither taste nor energy for this
business, or lacked faith in the general result, but were
willing that others should embark in the business by
sharing the profits with them. There was no risk to
the landholders, and the profit might be considerable.
In this state of affairs shrewd and enterprising indi-
viduals made a business, for a time, of leasing all the
J^nds in certain localities, with no intention of operating

LARGE COMPANIES — SMALL CAPITAL. 75

themselves, but with the design of sub-leasing to real
operators. Sometimes these lands were leased in bulk
tor one-eighth or even a tenth as the share of the pro-
prietor of the land, without any bonus ; and afterwards
sub-leased in small quantities, receiving one-third or
one-half the product with a handsome bonus in addition.

In the earlier stages of the oil business, operations
were usually carried on by large companies. By many
it was considered much as an experiment, and many
were unwilling to invest, save in small amounts. Others,
who had but little to invest, thought they saw in these
companies a mode of securing large profits in return for
their small investments. The manner of forming and
carrying on these companies was simple and primitive.
It was, perhaps, really a partnership for thfe transaction
of business, but was hardly so considered by many at
the time. A few brief articles were drawn up, officers
appointed, and a lease secured. Sometimes a member
or two of the company were appointed to carry on the
work. Sometimes it was given out by contract. Assess-
ments were laid upon the members just as funds were
required to carry on the work, and generally with the
understanding that when these assessments were not
paid within a reasonable time, the standing of the member
so neglecting or refusing should be forfeited, together
with any previous assessments he might have paid.

The first company organized at Franklin consisted of
fifty members, the second of forty, the third of fifty-one ;
and the general assessments were ten dollars upon each
member at a time. In those early days a well could be
sunk as deep as was supposed necessary to settle the
question of success or failure, for about one thousand
dollars, the implements for boring and pumping costing

76 INDIVIDUAL LIABILITY.

one thousand dollars more; so that the risk was not
very great, even if the prospect of a large fortune was
not particularly brilliant.

These companies, at the first stages of proceedings,
were not chartered, nor had they any authority of law
for holding or transferring real estate, any farther than
as simple partnerships for the transaction of business.
Each individual member of a company was, of course,
responsible for the debts of the whole concern, should
the creditor demand it at his hands. And as the hunter
always aims at the finest deer in the- herd, if he has but
a single shot, creditors usually made use of the same
discrimination in serving their processes. As many
of these companies, after a single partial experiment,
disbanded with debts of various kinds, the matter often
became exceedingly embarrassing to certain members of
the disbanded association who lived near the site. Many
an individual who had never in his life been visited by
an officer, had that privilege accorded him, together with
that of paying the debts of the defunct association.

Such companies are now usually organized under the
laws of Pennsylvania (Purdon's Digest), receiving a
charter, conferring upon them certain rights and privi-
leges, and restricting them to certain courses of proce-
dure.

These large companies, in one respect, did a good
work, and in others were damaging to the general in-
terests of the business. As to the first, they assisted in
developing territory that was doubtful, and getting up
an interest in neighborhoods that had not been even
partially explored, thus attracting the attention of capi-
talists from other places, who had the means and the
energy to explore fully and satisfactorily. Their opera-

ABANDONED WELLS. 77

tions were like the firing of the skirmish line, that
reveals the location and attracts attention to the coming
battle.

Yet, after all, it is doubtful whether these large com-
panies did not do more harm than good, as far as the
general result was concerned. They were most generally
unsuccessful. There were too many proprietors. Too
many pilots were on board the ship, and among them
all, each one of whom was part owner, the ship waa
almost sure to be driven on shore or wrecked amid the
breakers. One and another would decline paying fur-
ther assessments, until a feeling of discouragement |9^ould
settle down upon the company and paralyze their efforts.

Again, among so many there was no one having a
sufficiently strong interest to urge the matter along
vigorously and hopefully, and, in addition to all, the
matter was carried on with great extravagance; A
small outlay would be but little to each one of fifty
members, but at the laat the aggregate was sufficient to
preclude the idea of dividends, even when successful in
developing petroleum.

The result was, that all over the territory operated by
these large companies, oil derricks were to be seen fall-
ing to decay, fragments of masonry testifying that en-
gines had once been used there, but now removed, the
ruins of oil tanks and other fixtures pertaining to the
business of collecting petroleum, rendering the scene
desolate and in the highest degree discouraging, save to
the shrewd and experienced operator. To most persons
it was uninviting, and to many repulsive, for those ruins,
or "dry wells" as they were termed, were like so many
stranded, dismantled ships on an iron-bound coast; they
7*

78 SEBIOUS LOSSES.

warned all voyagers to be on the alert, and avoid the
fate of those who had preceded them.

After this, there was another feature attending early
oil operations that was equally disastrous, at least to
those engaged. Entertaining the idea already alluded
to, that a certain sum, and that not a large one, would
be sufficient to develop a well, many persons of small
means undertook the work, sometimes singly, sometimes
in connection with one or two neighbors. They calcu-
lated only on a single experiment, and their whole avail-
able means were staked upon a single well, and this
perhaps not more than three hundred feet deep. The
work was commenced hopefully, and carried on heroi-
cally for weeks and even months, as wells were not
bored so rapidly then as now. Funds would begin to
get low, courage would begin to fail, and still no oil
beyond mere surface appearances. Here was a quan-
dary. All the available resources of the man or the
little company were down in the crevices of the rocks,
with nothing in return. Sometimes in this state of
affairs the work was abandoned, the lease forfeited, and
the loss sustained with the best philosophy that could be
brought to bear in the case. Sometimes the "claim"
was sold to parties possessing more capital, and blessed
with greater resources, and in their hands became a de-
cided success. Instances are known where wells have
been laboriously put down until means and faith both
becoming exhausted, the enterprise was sold for a trifle,
and in the new hands soon produced a tremendous
fortune.

There was another reason for some of these serious
losses to the early operators. At one period the pump-
ing wells were all comparatively of small capacity, from

EFFECTS OF FLOWING WELLS. 79

two or three up to thirty or forty barrels per day. In
many sections not more than eight or ten barrels were
expected under the most favorable circumstances. This
yield, when petroleum sold for half a dollar per gallon,
would be remunerative and encouraging. But the new
feature of flowing wells to be described in a succeeding
chapter, changed the whole face of the oil trade, and, for
a time, deranged all the plans that had hitherto worked
so well. A mighty deluge of petroleum was at once
thrown upon the market, bringing down tlie price to a
merely nominal figure. A panic seized the smaller in-
stitutions, and operations were suddenly arrested. Ope-
rators who had hoped to open a well yielding from three
to ten barrels per day, thought they saw the futility of
farther operations, suspended work, removed their ma-
chinery, and abandoned their leases to the owner of the
soil. Many an eager operator returned to his home a
sadder if not a wiser man, after such experience as this,
having expended possibly the surplus of his earnings on
his farm or in his shop the year before, in addition to
the actual labor on his oil well.

There are many instances, too, where losses more pro-
voking still attended this new development in oil opera-
tions. Wells that had already proved a success under
the old order of things, yielding perhaps two to six
barrels per day, and profitable when owned by one
person, or a small company whose aspirations were not
extravagant, become suddenly worthless. With oil at
five cents per gallon, pumping would be ruinous. The
consequence was, that all small wells were immediately
closed. Many of this description were incontinently
abandoned, the chamber and engine removed, and the
lease suffered forfeiture. Some of the more shrewd and

80 . PATIENT WAITING EEWAEDED.

calculating operators of this description, thinking that
the new order of things would change, clung tenaciously
to their modest little wells, and " determined to fight it
out on this line, though it should require all summer."
In some cases a modification or renewal of the lease was
obtained, permitting the holder to rest until the storm
should be overpast ; and, in others, the well was pumped
occasionally for a short time, in this way preventing the
forfeiture of the lease.

The storm did expend its fury after a while, and those
small wells are once more "paying institutions." The
patient waiting of the small operator has been rewarded
by finding his well, if yielding " heavy'* oil, once more
bringing him a dollar per gallon. But in the great
majority of instances, those small yielding wells have
gone into the possession of capitalists, and assisted to
swell the mighty monopoly that is spreading itself over
the oil region.

Large numbers of those abandoned wells and forfeited
lea-es, are still, no doubt, biding their time; not await-
ing further operations at the hands of their original
projectors, but other and more fortunate operators.
They are scattered over a large extent of territory, on
every stream and in almost every valley throughout the
oil regions. As a general thing they are avoided by
persons seeking a location for wells, from the general
impression that they are failures as oil wells. But this
is not necessarily, nor will it be ultimately found gene-
rally, the case, but from causes before explained. The
territory has not perhaps been fully explored. The well
was not deep enough perhaps to reach the oil-bearing
strata. Perhaps in cases where the well was deep
enough to expect success, only one experiment was tried,

CHARACTER OF LANDS. 81

or there may have been a defect in the mode of tubing
and pumping. Some of the greatest instances of success
have been with abandoned wells; and, no doubt, this
will be the case in future. There is a wide field of
operations for such enterprises in many portions of the
country, where decaying derricks are now but the monu-
ments of disappointed hopes.

During the last two years there has been a very great
change in the manner of conducting oil operations. Large
companies organized under the original plan, have dis-
appeared almost entirely from the field. Parties pos-
sessed of small capital are not often seen competing with
those of larger resources, and, as a general thing, the
whole business is undergoing the process of centraliza-
tion that will perhaps assist in carrying the matter for-
ward with more vigor and eflSciency, if it be not attended
by other consequences that will prove deleterious to
local interests, and disastrous to the public welfare.
This, however, remains to be seen.

Lands along the oil valleys were not originally held
at very high prices. For merely agricultural purposes,
many portions yrere perhaps as valuable as the land
throughout the country; although, in many instances,
they were utterly worthless, being broken or lying in
very narrow valleys between precipitous hills. The
lands along the Allegheny river, and along Oil and
French creeks, that had been brought into a state of
cultivation, were probably worth from ten to twelve
dollars per acre previous to the development of the
petroleum business. In other cases, where the land
' was uncultivated, and scarcely susceptible of cultiva-
tion, being of the character described by the pioneer, as
"the more a person had the poorer he was supposed to

82 HIGH PRICES.

be," the price could hardly be determined at all. In a
few other cases still, the land had never been purchased
from the State, being supposed utterly and incorrigibly
worthless, and thus lying vacant. In this latter case
the first individual" who made the discovery of its orphan
character located a warrant upon it, and for a trifle,
embraced in charges, became the bona fide owner. These
cases were rare, however, and small in extent, being
usually but slender fringes bordering the streams, and
bounded by steep and rugged hills. But in some cases,
at least, they have proved valuable oil territory.

After the experiment of a general leasing of lands in
the oil valleys had been in operation for some time, the
original owners of the soil began to yield to what they
considered tempting offers, and disposed of their lands.
The prices paid, although considered large by the original
proprietors, were very moderate when compared with
the more modern rates. But as the business began to
develop, prices increased, until the matter of speculating
in oil lands has become a mania, and colossal fortunes
have been made in this way.

The usual way was to obtain the price at which an
individual landholder was willing to sell, and then to offer
a certain fixed amount for the " refusal" of the property
for twenty, thirty, or sixty days, as the parties might
agree. The money was paid, and if "party of the
second part" came back within the limited time, and
•paid the full price agreed upon, the deed was made out,
and the property was his. If he did not come up to
time, the sale was null and void, and the forfeit money
belonged to " the party of the first part."

There purchasers were generally without capital ;
their whole stock in trade being their enterprise, and

WEALTHY FARMERS — MILLIONAIRES. 83

perseverance, and pursuit of the main chance. The con-
firmation of the purchase generally depended on the
ability to make a further sale to a third party, of course,
at figures greatly enlarged and multiplied. These lands
during the past year have generally found their way
into the hands of joint stock companies, that have of
late become grand and ponderous institutions as con-
nected with the oil business.

Many farmers, whose paternal acres were scattered
along the oil valleys, have become suddenly wealthy.
In former years they lived frugally and unostenta-
tiously, and managed to make the product of each
year supply its wants. They raised what grain was
necessary for their own supply, and occasionally floated
a raft down the Allegheny to Pittsburgh and the
ports below, the product of which furnished them with
other supplies. Thus the year rolled around, and there
was no dream of future wealth. The riches of Venango
county were supposed to be all developed. The last
lingering castle had tumbled and vanished into thin air,
as the iron business failed, and the last act of the drama
was supposed to be on the stage. But many of the
same farmers have become wealthy — some of them lite-
rally millionaires. One plain, worthy man, who had
been born and brought up on the farm on which he was
residing at the time of the new era, has recently sold his
little possessions for one hundred thousand dollars.
Another, on whose lands the business has been more
fully developed, is about selling for half a million, and
still another, with rather more productive lands, has the
offer of two. millions. And these are real bona fide
Bales, and the investment would be a good one for any
capital that is seeking a profitable resting place.

84 CHOICE OP SITE.

But money, like everything else, seems to have a value
that is merely relative. Many of these plain farmers do
not appear to regard these high figures with any more
favor than they did smaller ones years ago. One thou-
sand dollars seemed to them a large sum years ago ; one
hundred thousand seems no larger now. It must be
stated, for the credit of these men generally, that they
have not been uplifted by the prosperity that has sud-
denly rained down upon them. Some have gone to other
localities and purchased farms, and settled quietly down
upon them ; others are still in a transition state, and
preparing for new changes.

CHAPTER VIII.

PRELIMINARY TO BORING.

In a popular cook-book there is this sage direction
prefixed to a receipt for cooking a hare : — *' First catch
the hare." So in regard to the preliminaries to boring
an oil well, the first thing is to obtain a site that will be
at least promising. And in regard to this, taste and
judgment are about the only guides. Doubtless there is
something in the geological formation, but this, even to
the scientific eye, is difficult to read. A broken and
liregular formation of the rocks near the surface may be
indication of the condition of the rock far below ; yet
this broken appearance near the surface may be
Qg to accidental causes that have not afiected the

SURFACE INDICATIONS. 85

underlying strata. On Pithole creek, where some new
and almost startling developments have recently been
made, the broken and shattered condition of the rocks
would seem to be an index to the recent success. But
this broken and fragmentary condition of the rock is not
confined merely to the surface, as indicated by the pits
and caverns that are found in its region, and from which
the creek derives its name. It would appear, at least,
to reach far down, and to be characteristic of that pecu-
liar region.

At first " surface appearances," or the presence of oil
in springs, or oozing through the surface of the ground,
or manifesting its presence in the streams, was supposed
to be an almost infallible indication of success. But the
presence of this surface oil is not always a sure criterion
in deciding upon a location for a well. Oftentimes very
fine wells have been opened in localities where no oil has
been found on the surface, and no appearance of oil
having been obtained at any previous time in the neigh-
borhood. There have been no more decided successes,
from boring into the very ancient pits on Oil creek,
already alluded to, than in many other places. In fact,
wells have been bored in the bottom of these pits with-
out the slightest success ; whilst others, bored at a dis-
tance from them, where there was no appearance of
ancient operations, have met with complete success.
At a point on the Allegheny, about two miles above
Franklin, there was a well-known oil spring forty years
ago. It supplied the family that lived near it, as well as
the surrounding neighborhood, with petroleum for medi-
cal and other purposes, to the extent of their wants.
But for many years the supply has entirely failed.
Daring a recent excavation, at the precise spot where it
8

86 RAVINES.

was known to exist at the time alluded to, for the pur-
pose of laying the abutment of a bridge, no trace of oil
was found — not even a discoloration of the soil. Yet
this may perhaps be accounted for from natural causes.
The little cavities, or perhaps mere seams in the rock,
may have become closed, or the feeble supply diverted
into other and more attractive channels. The very fact
that it was found in minute quantities is evidence that it
found its way through a very small orifice, or that it had
come a great distance from the larger caverns from
which it had been supplied.

In the earlier stages of operation, a ravine or sunken
hollow, declining toward the river or creek, was generally
selected as the best site, under the supposition, perhaps,
that the character and appearance of the rock beneath was
prefigured by the ground upon the surface. There is no
doubt some geology in this, if npt philosophy. But it is
not a certain criterion. These ravines are generally not
due to the force of circumstances beneath, but above. A
stream of water may have originally worn the ravine
for its bed, where now there is but the dry channel.
Again, a stream of water or the efflux of a spring may
have worn a furrow, or even a formidable ravine, as a
channel for itself, where lormerly there was a smooth,
level surface.

Facts, too, are against this theory. In reality, facta
have always proved themselves mortal enemies to any
theories that have been set up in regard to the oil de-
velopments. Every operator could not obtain a ravine
in which to plant his drill, because the applicants were
numerous and the ravines limited in number. Many
are obliged to content themselves with a smooth, level
bit of ground as the theatre of the operation that was to

KEIGHBORINQ WELLS. 87

render them, if not famous, at least wealthy. And in
course of time it was found that the borer in the ravine,
other things being equal, was no oftener successful than
his neighbor. In fact, as theories have so frequently-
been shipwrecked and stranded in the progress of oil de-
velopments, it may even prove that, within the limits of
the oil basin, or, perhaps, better, within the limits of the
oil-bearing rock, that wells bored on the table land will
be found equally successful with those on the driver and
creek bottoms; A fact or two has loomed up lately that
points mysteriously in this direction.

In selecting a site, the proximity of neighboring wells
has often been considered as of consequence. It is true
one man's success is no great indication that his neighbor
will succeed equally as well. Still it has its influence.
Much more, the success of several in the same neighbor-
hood will have a tendency to render a given piece of
territory popular; it may, to a certain extent, demon-
strate that in that particular region the strata beneath
may be cavernous, and so the receptacle of the desired
fluid to a greater extent than some other localites;
but it is not infallible. A half-dozen wells may be
yielding oil in a given locality, inducing the seventh comer
to congratulate himself on the possession of a small
piece of ground near by, or amongst the fortunate ones.
But his drill may pass down, not into one of these
unctuous caverns, but between them, and so go on down
through the solid rock, until discouraged and disgusted
he abandons the work.

On the other hand, a new adventurer may be success-
ful, where others have failed, simply because his drill
has penetrated a vein, or cavity of oil, whilst those who
have preceded him have passed the vein, and found un-

88 BLACK SPIEITS AlH) WHITE.

broken rock, until they considered the experiment fully
tried^ Besides new territory must be tested, and, in
order to do this, there must be original navigators to
open up the way.

As a general thing, wells in the same neighborhood
do not interfere with each other. There are exceptions
to this, however, but they are not at present sufficiently
numerous to interfere with the rule. In rare instances
the same crevice in the rock may be running on the
same line with two wells ; in such cases there may and
will be an interference, unless the cavern or vein be
sufficiently capacious to satisfy the demands of both.
But in the great majority of instances the wells do not
interfere, although not more than fifty feet asunder;
so that fear need not enter into the calculation, when
revolving the idea of locating a well in a given locality.

But not content with natural laws and natural mani-
festation, some seekers after the hidden wealth have
resorted to supernatural means, and pretended super-
natural agency. In their superstition and credulity
they have invoked,

" Black spirits and white,
Blue spirits and gray,'*

if not using the incantations and preparatory arrange-
ments of the ancient sorceress, seeking, at least, to
attain the same ends by more simple processes. Some
have pretended to be in league with spirits who have
pointed out to them the precise location where a suc-
cessful well might be located, and even the depth to
the luxuriant vein, that but awaited the tapping process,
in order to a bountiful yield. But the spirits did not
prove reliable. They were lying spirits, that led their

HAZEL ROD. 89

deluded votaries astray, or rather the persons that pro-
fessed to have "familiar spirits'* were impostors, or de-
ceived, and so their devices and practices came to
nought.

There is a device that is sometimes resorted to, that
may be mentioned for what it is worth, inasmuch as it
has a small show of philosophy alleged in its favor.
This is the use of the Hazel, or Peach tree rod, in order
to point out the locality of the deposits of oil. It has
been used by certain persons, " so long back that the
memory of man runneth not to the contrary," in pursuit
of water for the purpose of digging wells for domestic
uses ; and has had its believers and defenders.

The mode of procedure is to take a natural fork from
the trees referred to, having its limbs of equal length
and size, and to strip off the leaves, within an inch or two
of the main stem. The extremities of these limbs are
then grasped rather firmly in the closed hands with the
backs downwards, being, at the same time, extended
from the body. The supposition is that if there be oil
underneath, the fork will revolve in the hands, having
the two extremities for an axis ; if not it will re-
main erect and immovable in the hands. The little
bit of philosophy, and it is very small indeed, in the
matter is, that there is a kind of magnetism by which
the rod is disturbed and set in motion.

This is the theory. It has its advocates. It is no
new thing under the sun. Works have been written on
the subject, as applied to the discovery of minerals and
mineral waters. It has had its advocates among scien-
tific men in this country. "Silliman's Journal," cer-
tainly no mean authority in matters of science, pub-
lished an article setting forth reasons for adopting the
8*

90 LOW LANDS FIRST SOUQHT.

theory, and citing facts in proof of its correctness. In
the Venango oil regions, as well as in that of West Vir-
ginia, it is asserted by candid men that very many
instances are on record where rich wells have been indi-
cated by this singular mode of manipuJation. There
may be philosophy in the theory, but it is difficult for
the uninitiated to perceive it. Yet there are many
things amid the hidden forces of nature that we cannot
explain, and however strange they may seem to us, may
not be safely discarded.

*' There are more things 'twixt heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamed of in your philosophy."

Still if we had any advice to offer, it would be, not to
trust too implicitly to the hazel tree theory, unless the
site had other claims upon the attention.

In the earlier stages of oil operations the favorite
locations, and, indeed, the only ones that were consid-
ered worthy of attention, were along the river and
creek bottoms, and near the water's edge. Perhaps
the idea was a complex one, having reference in part to*
the notion that the oil-courses would correspond with
the water-courses, and in part to the matter of conveni-
ence in finding the rock near the surface of the earth,
so requiring but little labor preliminary to boring. As
to the first, it is an assumption altogether, that the
rocky strata one hundred or a thousand feet beneath the
surface is broken and cavernous, and adapted to the
secretion of oil merely because an indentation has been
worn in the soil to receive ^;he current of a river or
creek. It remains to be proved that the courses of
streams are influenced in the slightest degree by the
geological structure of the underlying rocky strata.

VALUE OP LOW LANDS. 91

It has been asserted, however, that just at the foot of
the steep bluff, along the course of Oil creek, there has
been more uniform success than along the edge of the
creek, and near the water.

It is very doubtful, too, about the correctness of the
other branch of the idea, to wit : convenience in finding
the rock more readily accessible on the beds of the
streams than on higher ground. This would be assum-
ing that the rock strata is to be found on a level over
the face *of the country, and that the eminences and
hills were heaped upon it in different thicknesses accord-
ing as they rise above this supposed level. There can be
no doubt but that this supposed level is purely imaginary;
nor can there be any doubt that many of the eminences
of land are due to the upheaval of the rock beneath.
Throughout the oil valleys, we find the rock cropping
out from the sides of the hills, and rock too that
possesses all the characteristics of that penetrated by
the drill in the downward progress of boring. In the
face of the steep, rocky bluff near Franklin, where an
enterprising tradesman is excavating a cavern for the
conservation and ripening of his "Lager Beer,'* the
rock stratum appears mingled, and contorted, and inter-
blended as though by some mighty convulsion of nature.
The agency of heat, too, seems to have been superadded,
as the material appears to have settled together from a
plastic state. Still there is this slight advantage in
selecting a site near the margin of the stream, that
some of the superincumbent soil has generally been
washed away by the action of the water.

Within the last year or two less attention has been
paid to the low land, and many even prefer a high
location. Quite as good success has attended operations

92 HIGH LANDS NOW SOUGHT.

back from the water courses, and wells are continually
developing stores of wealth that have been bored some
distance up the face of the hill. This is particularly
the case along the valleys of Oil creek and Cherry run,
where the strip of low land is narrow, and the terri-
tory is limited in extent. In some places the hill side
is dotted with derricks and engines, and this not alone
in the operation of boring, but in actual pumping.

The most startling development that has been made,
in this phase of the question, has been on Pit Hole
creek. A recent well has been opened that bids de-
fiance to almost all the theories that have hitherto been
promulgated. It is about six miles from the river,
and on a piece of land that is at quite an elevation
above the Allegheny. The well itself is of a less depth
than the principal ones on Oil creek, and yet has pierced
the fourth sand rock. Here is an argument in favor
of high land as a site for boring ; as well as proof that
the surface of the country is no indication of the form
of the underlying rock.

The question of sites for wells, then, is one not easily
settled. For there is a* vast difference between an oil
well and a hole in the rock. In the latter there may
be salt water, and other minerals, but petroleum is the
great matter in question. New territory must be de-
veloped and new experiments tried, in order to enlarge
the area of supply, and perhaps there are no general
rules that can be laid down in the case. Proximity
to other developed sites, is a matter that is not to
be disregarded, and beyond this, strong faith, persistent
effort, and a considerable amount of capital, are the best
reasons on which to found hopes of success.

There is this, however, in the selection of a site for

BASE OF HILLS. 93

boring a well: it would seem reasonable that near the
base of the hills, rather than at a distance from them,
a broken condition of rocks might be found beneath.
If the hills be caused by upheaval of the strata under-
neath, then, in all probability, the underlying rocks will
be displaced and shattered, and left in a disjointed
cavernous state. And this is the condition most favor-
able to the secretion of oil. It is not at all likely that
oil was formed near the surface of the earth, or where
it is now found. It is formed elsewhere, and will gene-
rally be found in hollows, and cavities, and even large
caverns. Something analogous to this condition of the
rocks is found near the shores of our Northern lakes,
and in portions of the rivers where the water runs
rapidly. When the ice has obtained considerable thick-
ness it is broken by the wav6s or current, and thrown
up in great ridges, over which the water dashes and
freezes in an apparently compact mass. But on ex-
amination it will be found to have an open structure
with furrows, and crevices, and caverns.

Such is, no doubt, the condition of the rocks near the
base of the hills, particularly if these hills have been
formed by upheaval. Practice has often proved the cor-
rectness of this theory.

Even if there be a failure in a favorite locality, it is
no very serious ground of discouragement. An inexpe-
rienced surgeon might thrust his lancet within a hair's
breadth of the vein, and yet produce no blood ; still it
would be no evidence that there was no blood in the
patient's arm. So a well might be sunk within a few
inches of a fine vein of oil, and yet fail of making any
discovery. An instance may here be cited to illustrate
this idea. A well was in process of completion. The

94 EEGION TO BE EXPLORED.

centre-bit had penetrated even below the region where
oil was expected, with no tangible results. It was
roamed out with the first reamer, with a similar result.
But when the second reamer had passed down to the
depth where oil had been expected, a copious vein of oil
was opened, proving that the first reamer had passed
along within an inch of the oil vein without disturbing
it or giving any token of its presence.

As to the subterranean region which is to be explored,
we can know but little, any further than the sand-pump
of the borer brings the secrets of its prison-house to light.
It is a long way down amid the rocky deep that the drill
must force its way, before it reaches the region where
the great Chemist has stored his treasure to await the
necessities of his creatures. And nothing but the per-
sistent genius of man, and this genius under the force
of great pressure, could bring this treasure to light.

Usually there is, in this downward journey, a certain
depth of earth to be passed through, varying from a few
inches to fifty or sixty feet. After this a kind of gray
or dark-colored shale or soap-stone, about two hundred
and fifty feet in thickness, then a stratum of white Band-
stone, then shale again. These two species of rock alter-
nate, until, as far as has yet been explored, there are
four different strata of each. The third and fourth
sand rocks, as far as we can judge now, appear to be the
true strata containing unmixed petroleum.

This is the journey the drill must traverse through
very hard rock, occasionally meeting on the way with a
vein of fresh, but oftener salt, water ; now and then a
small vein of oil, called by the workmen " a show of oil,"
until the work is completed, and terminates in success
or failure. The work is carried on in darkness, and far

DIFFICULTIES TO BE EXPECTED. 95

from the direct observation of the workmen, and yet
with more precision and certainty than are the ordinary
operations of the mechanic who has his work directly
under his eye. When the well is completed the punc-
ture may be a thousand feet deep, through nearly solid
rock, and yet its calibre is doubtless as smooth and
straight as that of a finished cannon throughout its
entire length. If it were otherwise the work would be
useless, and, in fact, could not be carried forward for
any great length of time. If the well deflected from a
straight line, the long augur-stem would soon become
involved, and even if completed, the tubing could not
be inserted.

The operator must prepare himself for difficulties in
his downward progress. " It is not always May" in the
process of sinking an oil well, any more than in many
other operations in life. There are an hundred sources
of accident that may interfere with even the practised
borer, that no skill can at all times circumvent. Be-
sides, from the great demand for operatives in this
line, many who have no practical knowledge of the
business are obliged to undertake it. The boring imple-
ments may break, the drill may become detached from
the augur-stem, and be left hundreds of feet in the dark
abodes beneath, or the whole weight of the implements
may stick fast, defying every attempt to get them loose.
Some of these difficulties are almost constantly staring
the.4)old miner in the face, testing his courage, putting
his coolness to the trial, and calling forth all his resources
of ingenuity, and judgment, and mechanical skill. All
these contingencies should be looked at and antici-
pated, and even expected before the work is commenced.
It is true, many a well is bored without any of these

96 PACING DIFFICULTIES.

accidents happening. The entire work occasionally pro-^
ceeds "merry as a marriage bell" to entire completion.
So, sometimes, does a voyage across the ocean. But
withal, the prudent sailor expects an occasional rough
sea, and at times a fierce struggle with the elements, and
is not disheartened when these things meet him in his
rough experience.

There is another important consideration preparatory
to boring — calculations must be made for total failure
after all the toil and anxiety. There are more blossoms
on the tree in spring than there will be fruit in autumn,
and there are many more failures than successes even in
the most promising portions of the oil region. An indi-
vidual would hardly be justifiable in commencing with
just sufficient capital to complete a single well, although
it is not beyond the region of probability that the first
well might be a perfect success. But, on the other hand,
it might be a failure, and then all his hopes would be
blighted. There would be more safety with capital suffi-
cient to put down two wells ; yet even in this case there
would be considerable hazard. But if there should be
capital sufficient to put down from three to half a dozen
wells, then one success would remunerate for all subse-
quent failures, and leave a large margin of profit. The
way to fortune through the oil regions, then, is not all
plain sailing. There are difficulties and discouragements
that must be met and endured. The two grand charac-
teristics that warrant success are capital and perservering
enterprise. With these success is certain, without them,
failure is very probable.

THIB TIBST BOBEBS. 97

CHAPTER IX.

MODE OF BOBING.

We will etippose, then, that the site has been selected,
either by the divining rod, by the geological features
of the country, mere whim, or necessity, no other site
offering ; preparations are now made for boring the well.
The little barque is to be launched that is to bear the
operator to fortune or to shipwreck.

The boring of oil wells has become quite an institution
in the oil valley. The first operatives were usually old
salt-borers, who brought with them a wonderful amount
of pretension, and were, of course, fully impressed
with the dignity and professional importance of their
occupation. The boring of a hole down through the
earth, a distance of five hundred or a thousand feet, was
a very important and responsible business. It required
time and patience, as well as skill and judgment. Thus
these old* pioneers reasoned and acted. A few feet per
day was all they expected, and were content with that.
But soon a new set of men undertook the business, who
run their drills with twice or thrice the rapidity of the
pioneers, and made ten or fifteen feet daily in some
varieties of rock. The old borers looked grave, shook
their heads, and intimated that some dreadful calamity
9

98 THE DEKBIOK.

would ^nsue. The implements would break; the well
would not be perpendicular nor cylindrical ; everything,
in fact, would go wrong. But the new spirit that had
gotten under way triumphed. No greater liability to
accidents was manifested than under the sober system of
the old salt-miners. In this case, as in others, the spirit
of innovation could not be stayed. To resist it was like
"damming up the Nile with bullrushes.'* And now,
after five years, the spirit of innovation, and the attempt
at improvement in the processes of producing petroleum,
is as strong as ever. Sometimes it is successful, at other
times, it meets with failure.

The first thing now in order is the " derrick." This
is a tall framework in the form of a truncated pyramid,
about ten feet square at the bottom, and five at the top,
having one of its four posts pierced with rounds at pro-
per distances, to answer the purposes of a ladder, by
means of which the workmen ascend and descend when
necessary. The derrick is from thirty to forty feet in
height, and has in the centre of its summit a pulley, by
means of which the boring implements and chamber are
drawn from the well. In fact, this pulley plays a most
important part in all future operations, both in boring
and pumping the well, should this latter process fortu-
nately become necessary. In former years, the derrick
was formed of four posts, sometimes rough as they came
from the woods, sometimes hewn slightly, and connected
together by as many cross-pieces as were necessary to
give the struoture strength and stability. Sometimes it
was boarded up to furnish protection to the workmen,
and at other times left open and uncomfortable. Lat-
terly the derrick is made of plank, one and a half to two
inches in thickness, spiked together at the corners, and

DIGGING! — CONDUCTOB. 99

braced transversely, to secure the proper amount of
strength.

The derrick being finished, the next step is to com-
mence the excavation, preparatory to boring. We will
suppose that at the point selected, the underlying rock is
from twenty to sixty feet beneath the surface of the
ground. The drilling operation cannot commence until
the rock is reached, and all danger of the caving in of
the surrounding earth entirely removed. The usual
practice is to dig a pit within the derrick, about six feet
square, until the operation is interrupted by reaching
the water. When the remaining distance is but. slight,
a wooden " conductor," as it is called, is driven down to
the rock, having its upper end a few inches above the
floor of the derrick. This conductor is sometimes made
square, of strong oak plank, banded together with iron ;
sometimes it is a single log, bored after the manner of a
pump-log. Through this conductor the boring is to
proceed, as well as all future operations relating to
pumping.

If the distance to the rock is great, instead of this
wooden conductor, a strong cast-iron pipe is driven down
through the earth, by means of a battering ram, attached
to the derrick. This pipe has a calibre of about six
inches, with walls of one inch in thickness. It is pre-
pared in joints of about ten feet in length, which are
connected together at the point of contact by wrought
iron bands, about eight inches in width. When one
joint has been driven down to the surface of the ground,
this connecting band is heated to redness, a new joint is
applied, and as the band cools a firm, close joint is
formed. The battering ram is again put in motion, and
the work proceeds until the rock is reached. As the

100 DRIVING PIPE — ^BOULDEES,

blows are all in a perpendicular direction, the pipe
usually goes down straight and in good condition. The
derrick is now floored over, leaving the top of the pipe
on a level with the floor, or an inch or two above it.
The earth is then removed from the interior of the pipe,
and the operation of boring is ready to be commenced.

Occasionally, however, this driving operation is inter-
rupted by coming upon a huge boulder, or even a thin
stratum of rock. This circumstance may sometimea
deceive the workmen, particularly if they be new to the
business. Yet this is not often the case; for, as a
general rule, there is considerable regularity in the
depth of the rock beneath the surface, and this depth
is usually well understood in particular localities, and
the careful workman need not be deceived. When one
of these circumstances occurs, and the pipe, in its down-
ward descent, gives notice of having met with an un-
wonted obstruction, the earth is removed frofn the
inside of the pipe, and boring commences as though
upon the real rock beneath. A hole is made through
the boulder, or rock, nearly equal in size to the pipe
itself, when the driving is resumed, and the pipe made
to ream its way through the stone. Sometimes in these
operations the pipe is broken, or driven out of its course.
If it should descend upon the beveled side, or inclined
face of the rock, it would most probably be forced out
of a perpendicular direction, and the work would be
efiectually marred. When this is the case, the work
must be abandoned, and a new location sought for, and
the whole process commenced anew. Nor is it worth
while to attempt saving the pipe that has been driven.
It would resist successfully any attempt at drawing

CABLI^— BULL WHEEL. ' -''.-'-. 101

even by the force of the engine, whilst the pres^ce
of water would preclude the idea of digging it out:/ -• .

If the workmen have been enccessful in driying'3il]ie
pipe safely to the rock, they are ready, after removing
the earth and gravel from the pipe, to commence'
boring. The terms bore and boring are here used,
because they are the popular ones. They are not strictly
correct. Drilling would be a more correct word, as
the process consists of a downward stroke from cutting
and beating instruments, generally called bits. The
operation, in obedience to popular use, will be here
spoken of as boring.

The first thing to be described in connection with the
boring apparatus is the cable. This is of sea-grass,
usually from an inch and a quarter to an inch and a
half in diameter, and in length as many feet as it is
proposed to continue the well; this, however, is not
material, as if too short it may be spliced, and if too
long wha# is not needed may remain uncoiled upon the
wheel, to be used in the boring of deeper wells.

One end of this cable is attached to the boring imple*
ments ; it then passes over a pulley that is placed at the
top of the derrick, exactly over the pipe leading to the
well, after which it is coiled upon the shafb of the " bull
wheel." This wheel plays an important part in the
operation. It consists of a shaft about eight feet in
length, around which the cable is to be coiled as it is
drawn from the well. It also has a drum-head at one
end, about four and a half feet in diameter, that serves
for a band wheel, by which it is attached to the engine.
The wheel is rigged in a horizontal position to the two
comer posts of the derrick next to the engine. This
portion of the machinery is used in removing the boring

102 /'•:• ' BODS— BOBina implements.

• • •.

implemeaits from, and lowering them into the well. It
ea^pfi^da serves the same purposes with the tubing
vWi" the well is to be pumped. In withdrawing the
implements, direct power is applied, either by the hand
*'yr by an engine ; in returning them to the well a break
•• *is applied to prevent the descent from being too rapid.

In the operation of boring, the cable is the instrument
most generally used as an attachment to the implements,
as it is more convenient than any other device. Some
parties, however, prefer rods, similar to those hereafter
described as sucker rods in the process of pumping;
these rods are about twenty feet in length, connected
together by a screw and socket. The stroke of the drill
may be a little mor^ a,ccurate and regular than with the
cable ; but the advantage is more than compensated in
the use of the latter, by the ease and rapidity with
which the implements are drawn out and returned to
the well. In the use of rods, as each successive joint
is drawn to the surface it must be unscrewed and set
aside, until the whole are withdrawn. It is readily
' perceived thg,t the disadvantage increases in proportion
to the depth of the well.

We come now to speak of the boring implements
generally used. They do not differ materially from
those formerly used in sinking Artesian wells. As' a
general thing, bits of two sizes are used, the first and
smallest of which only has a cutting edge. This is
called the centre-bit. It is about three and half feet in
length, with a shaft one and a half inches in diameter,
terminating in a cutting edge from two and a half to
three inches in width. This edge has an angle of about
thirty degrees, and is, of course, of steel. Its upper

CENTBB-BIT — BBAMEB.

lOS

end has a thread upon it by which it is screwed to the
auger-stem when ready for use.

The other bit is called a " reamer," and differs from
the former in having a blunt instead of cutting edge.
The reamer is about two and a half feet in length.

\

with a shank two and a half inches in diameter, ter-
minating in a blunt extremity from three and a half to
four and a half inches wide by two inches in thick-
ness. It is connected to the auger-stem in the same
xnanner as the centre-bit. A large reamer weighs about
fif^ pounds.

104

AUGEB-STEIC.

The auger-stem is a simple shaft generallj about
twenty or twenty-two feet in length, and about two
and three-quarter inches in diameter. A section of it is
seen in the engraving. It is designed by its weight to
give power and force to the bits attached to it.

Connected with this auger-stem above is an important
arrangement called, technically, "jars," made of two

JABS— TBMPEE-SCEEW. 105

elongated links, or loops of iron, hooking in each other,
one connected to the auger-stem, the other to the cable
above. This arrangement serves to jar the bit loose
when it has a disposition to stick fast in the well.
The operation is readily seen, as it is noticed that at
each stroke of the bit in the well, the upper links in
the jars may sink down a foot or more, and as the
power is applied it rises against the upper end of the
lower jar with a stroke like that of a sledge hammer,
and thus will overbalance any ordinary disposition on
the part of the bit to adhere to the walls of the well.
To the upper end of the jars another
bar of iron, about six or eight feet in
length, is attached called a " sinker.*'
To the top of this the cable is attached
by an arrangement called a "rope-
80cket,*'as shown in the engraving.

Thus far as to the implements at the
extremity of the cable, and that work in
the well. Of course, as the work pro-
ceeds, and the bits descend, the cable
must be continually lengthened, and
this in proportion to the rapidity of the
work as modified by the nature of the
rock. This operation is provided for by
an arrangement called a "temper-screw."
It is a; simple screw with rather coarse
threads with head downwards, and work-
ing in a narrow iron frame that is at-
tached above to the " walking-beam'* of eopi sockbi
the engine. To the head of this screw is attached a trans-
verse bar of iron some four inches in length, that serves
as a ha^dle by which the cable is lengthened at the plea^

106

IRON CLAMP — POWEB.

Bure of the workman. When the same is lowered to its
entire length, it is detached from the cable, and screwed
through the frame to its entire length,
and is ready for operation again. To
the lower end of this screw is attached
a peculiar kind of iron clamp that
embraces the rope, and, by means of
a side screw, holds it firmly and
securely. Wh6n the temper-screw ia
worked upwards through its frame,
this clamp takes a new position on
the rope, lengthening it by the length
of the screw.

The entire weight of the imple-
ments attached to the cable is from
six to twelve hundred pounds. The
motion is simply a perpendicular one,
although the bit is constantly turn-
ing; The power applied, whether by
hand or engine, is applied to raising
the bit, the cutting force is all im-
parted by the weight of the imple-
ments, falling, when relieved of the
power that raises them, either in the
downward spring of the pole, or the
downward motion of the walking-
beam of the engine.
TEMPER SCREW. Tho powcr appHcd is now to be con-

sidered. In the earlier stages of the business, it was very
often that of two or three men working at a spring-pole ;
at present it is universally a steam-engine. The spring-
pole operation was a severe one on the workmen,, and
rather tedious; but for the first hundred feet operated

^ SPBING-POLB. 107

very well. The spring-pole consisted of a green sapling
about • forty feet in length and ten inches in diameter,
with the butt end made fast in the ground, or attached
to an upright pole; a second post, ten or twelve feet
from the butt, acted as a fulcrum, while the pole passed
over the well, and about ten feet above it. The imple-
ments of boring were attached to this pole, and the
power adjusted near its smaller extremity. This was
applied by the strength of two men bearing down upon
the pole. Sometimes a small stage four feet square was
hinged by one of its sides to the side of the derrick,
and the other side suspended to the pole. In this case
the two men stood upon the stage, and brought down
the pole by throwing their weight upon the side attached
to it, and permitted it to rise by throwing their weight
on the side next the derrick. In either case the spring
of the pole brought up the implements, whilst the
motion of the pole downwards permitted the stroke.
In boring by hand, the implements are not so heavy as
those designed to be operated by an engine.

Another mode of operation was sometimes used in
the earlier stages of the business, in which a chain was
used, causing the most unpleasant and outrageous
clangor that can possibly be conceived. From its
unpleasant and horrible noise and associations, it was
called by the urchins the " chain-gang system." It was
a laborious process, and a terror to the whole neighbor-
hood where it was employed, and soon fell into disuse,
much to the satisfaction of persons residing within half a
mile of the scene of operations.

There was still another system by which human
muscle was brought into requisition. This was named
by the same astute authority quoted above, the " kick-

108 HORSE-POWEE — ^WATER-POWEB,

ing pony system." A short, elastic ash pole, of ten feet
in length, was arranged over the well, working over a
fulcrum, to which was attached stirrups, in which two
or three men placed each a foot, and by a kind of kick-
ing process brought down the pole, and produced the
motion necessary to work the bit. By this process the
strokes were very rapid, generally making two in a
second. It was adapted, however, only to shallow wells,
and for a distance of an hundred feet or less answered a
very good purpose. It, too, has been laid to rest, having
performed its work.

In many instances horse-power has been used to good
purpose. It had this advantage certainly, that it re-
lieved human muscle of much drudgery. There were
different patterns of horse-powers. Sometimes one horse
did the work, and sometimes two or three. In their
general features they resembled the horse-powers of
threshing machines, the horses walking around the
centre, and over a kind of tumbling-shaft that afforded
the perpendicular motion necessary to raise and depress
the bit.

Occasionally water-power has been used to advan-
tage, both in boring and pumping. This is particu-
larly the case in the neighborhood of water-power
already established. A very simple machinery will en-
able the borer to carry on his operations in connection
with those already going forward. In the vicinity of
small streams, too, a dam can be thrown across, and the
water, that had else gone idly by, be pressed into the
service, and made instrumental in relieving brawny arms
of the severest drudgery.

Still, all these processes, however useful in their time
and way, have given place to the steam-engine. They

STEAM-POWEB. 109

have done their work, and often did it well, and were
adapted to the exigencies of the times. Men of small
cjapital, and companies of small resources, were not able
to purchase engines at the first ; and, indeed, many of
the first operations in boring were mere experiments, in-
tended to develop the resources of the country, and it
was thought hardly worth while to incur the expense
of an engine on such slender expectations. In addition
to this, no one, unless the veriest dreamer, supposed it
would be necessary to go beyond one or two hundred feet.

But all these arrangements have now been discarded,
and the engine has taken their place. These engines
vary in pattern, but the general principles are, of course,
the same. The only material difference in form even, is,
that some are stationary, being set in masonry, while
others, and the largest portion, are portable. The first
engine that was brought to Franklin for oil purposes was
a portable one from the establishment of A. N. Wood &
Co., of Eaton, Madison County, N. Y. This establish-
-ment was the first in the field, and amidst all the rivalry
that has sprung up it has steadily held its own, and
maintains its position. Other establishments are doing
nobly, turning out the finest work, and manifesting a
spirit of accommodation and interest in all that pertains
to the prosperity of the oil region.

The pioneer engine of Mr. Wood was a four horse
portable one. It was then considered sufficiently power-
ful for the purpose, but the experience of five years has
shown that engines of from eight to ten horse-power are
best adapted to the purpose; particularly in pumping
deep wells, where a vast amount of power is necessary
to overcome all the obstacles in the way.

In these portable concerns, the engine is built upon
10

X

^

/

110 PORTABLE ENGINES.

the side or top of the boiler, somewhat on the plan of a
locomotive. Underneath the boiler are feet, that are
screwed to a light wooden frame, and the whole appa-
ratus can be readily transported from place to place,
and set in operation as soon as it can be set level upon
the ground. They occupy a very small space, too, as
they are built on the tubular principle, and in a small
space present a large amount of water surface to the
action of the fire. Sometimes these engines are built

WOOD'S PORTABLE STBAM-XNOINB.

upon iron wheels, so that they can be transferred from
one point to another without the trouble of putting them
upon a wagon. This arrangement, however, must be
rather suggestive of failures in boring to the workmen,
as the sanguine oil mun would prefer not moving his
apparatus until actually worn out in the work of pump-
ing oil.

In adjusting the engine to the work assigned it, but
little machinery is necessary. Sometimes a band-wheel,

PORTABLE ENGINES.

Ill

Cy with a crank, is geared to the engine, to which a
pitman is attached, the upper end of which is attached
to one extremity of the '* walking-beam, a, while the
boring implements are attached to the other. A rude
house is erected for the engine, into which one end of
the walking-beam extends to receive its attachment to

BKmoH or A PUMpma will sxaiBinNG thb apparatus.

the en^ne. The other end of this walking-beam reaches
into the derrick, c?, a portion of which is shown, and ter-
minates just over the well, raising and depressing the
implements used in boring and pumping.

The walking-beam itself is made of wood, generally
sixteen or twenty feet in length, about one foot through
in the middle, and diminishing gradually to the extre-
mities. It is balanced upon a- post eight or ten feet

/

112 MODE OF OPERATINa.

in height, called a "Samson post" (6), and moves freely
upon a pivot. The Samson post is set firmly in the
ground, or framed into a horizontal beam that lies in the
ground.

We are now ready to commence the actual work of
boring, having the iron pipe driven to the rock, the bit
arranged and engine attached. The workman seats him-
self just over the well, on a slight stool about three feet
in height. The bit is let down through the pipe or con-
ductor until it rests upon the rock. The rope attached
to it passes over the pulley at the top of the derrick,
immediately overhead, and descends and is coiled around
the shaft of the bull-wheel. The end of the walking-
beam in the derrick is now loosened, and the clamp of
the temper-screw made fast to the rope, and the opera-
tion is ready to commence. The throttle- valve of the
engine is thrown open, the walking-beam begins its
vibrations, the bit rises and falls, and there is that sharp,
clinking sound so familiar to the workman in the first
stages of the operation. The workman's hand rests upon
the transverse iron handle attached to the temper-screw,
just above the rope, and as it descends, turns the rope,
and with it the bit or drill, partially around, so that
each stroke of the bit on the rock beneath is slightly
across the cut that preceded it. And so the work goes
on in darkness and under water, and still with great
precision and certainty.

After the operation has proceeded about two feet, the
work begins to flag. The bit becomes dull, and the well
begins to clog with sand ; and in addition, the temper-
screw has nearly run out, in lowering the rope for the
advance of the drilL The clamp is now loosed from the

e — yABfiojf Post.

d— JlEKIlJCK^

41— BcLL Wheel.

/— WALWTJfG BJSAM

g — 1'FMFEn tJrRew.

I— Roff: iJOCK^T.
* — J^B&.
i^AVQV^ STtM.
m— CENTKK-flJT..

Section of a Well in process of boring. — Page 112.

/

SAND-PUHP.

113

the rope, and by means of the bull-wheel, either by the
instrumentality of human strength or attachment to the
band-wheel of the engine, the implements are drawn
from the well. The centre-bit is
detached from the auger-stem, and
one of the reamers attached in its
stead. This reamer has a blunt
face, and is perhaps one inch wider
than the bit that preceded it. Its
office is to enlarge the hole, by the
sheer force of blows. After exami n-
ing carefully, to see that all the ar-
rangements are in good condition,
the reamer is lowered into the well,
sinking by its own weight, and
eased down by a break applied to
the bull-wheel. The work is re-
sumed. The fragments of rock that
are cut and broken away descend
to the bottom of the well in the
form of sand. When the reamer
has done its work it, too, is with-
drawn, and the sand and water
mingled into a batter is drawn out
by means of the "sand-pump."
This is a simple copper tube, about
six feet in length, with a diameter
a little less than that of the well,
and furnished at the lower end with
a simple valve opening upwards in
the interior of the pump. At the
top it is surmounted by an iron handle, to which a small
rope is attached. At the bottom the sand-pump ig
10*

114 SHARPENINa TOOLS.

weighted with lead, to assist in sinking, as well as in
performing its work when below. The pump is let
down by this rope, and when at the bottom is agitated
by the hand of the workman for a few moments, when
the sand is forced up through the valve, and thus
drawn from the well. This operation is usually re-
peated once or twice, until nearly all the detritus is re-
moved from the well. The operation is then continued
by putting down the other reamer, and completing the
work as far as it goes. Many workmen, however, use
but one reamer, completing the work in this way that
has been commenced with the centre-bit.

The frequency with which the drill is dra,wn from
the well depends on the nature of the rock. This
operation is more frequent in hard sand-rock than in
shale or soap-stone; — in the former about every foot
or two ; in the latter it can sometimes be run two and a
half or three feet.

The bit must frequently be sharpened or dressed.
This is done nearly every time they are drawn from the
well. Duplicates are usually provided, so that no
detention may be necessary in the operation. This
dressing is performed by the borer himself; and as very
few implements are necessary, a simple miniature smith-
shop is connected with the well, containing a forge
and bellows, with anvil and hammers. The centre-bit is
sharpened without any very great care being taken as to
preserving its exact size. But with the reamers the
greatest care must be taken to preserve the exact width,
else they would be liable to get fast in the well. To
provide for this a gauge is used, by which they are
brought to the exact size, pains being taken to apply the
gauge, at the same temperature on each occasion.

SUEFACB WAXES. 115

In tHe matter of tempering great care is to be taken.
If too soft, the bit will not be suflScient for the work ;
the cutting edge will be turned, and the blunt surface
battered and fail of accomplishing the object. On the
other hand, if they are too hard the edge will be broken,
and the reamer probably break and leave a portion of
its steel in the well, to be a source of trouble and annoy-
ance in carrying on the work. The practice of some,
and their experience has been favorable to the plan, is
to bring the bit, when properly dressed, to a fine cherry-
red color, and then to plunge it in water until it ar-
rives at the proper tinge of blue. The reamer having
been brought to the same color in the fire, is suspend-
ed by a rope over a bucket of water, permitting the face
of the reamer to extend into the water about one-fourth
of an inch, and suffering it to cool gradually. In this
way the face or working portion of the bit is brought to
the proper degree of hardness for ,the work assigned it,
whilst the shank and part immediately adjoining the
face are so annealed as to guard against fracture, in the
repeated blows that accompany the operation of drilling.

As a general rule, the well is full of water almost
to the surface of the ground. This, at first, results
from the surface water flowing in from above, and
afterwards from small veins of water that are pierced on
the way downwards. This water answers an admirable
purpose In carrying on the work. Were it not for
its presence, the sand and debris of the rock set free by
the drill would clog at the bottom of the well, and be-
come as hard almost as when in its original position;
but the water reduces it to a fluid, muddy mixture, that
permits the drill to reach the rock, and at the same time

116 WATER VEINS — GAS.

presets it in good condition to be taken up and with-
drawn in the sand pump.

In the journey through the rocks, there is not the
monotony that might be supposed. Although it is a
pathway through a sandy Sahara, yet, as in Africa, there
is an occasional stream of water passed on the way,
that adds variety to the work, and interest in its pro-
gress. These water-veins are found at all distances from
the surface, and in the sand rock as well as in the dark
shale. Nor is this mere imagination. The workmen
has the practical evidence. Sometimes, after having
worked the usual length of time, and bored the usual
distance, he withdraws his drill from the well, and, to
his surprise, finds all the implements clean and bright
as though carefully washed in clean water. On applying
the sand pump, he finds neither sand nor muddy water
as usual; indicating that a vein of water has been tapped
that has carried away all the sand and mud that had
accumulated in the two or three hours' work. As the
work proceeds, veins of salt water are always met with.
Not a well has been bored to the depth of two hundred
feet without meeting with this saline rock, or, at least,
veins of very strong salt water. "What weight this fact
may eventually have upon the theories as to the origin
of petroleum cannot now be determined. The fact is
plain as to its invariable presence in all boring opera-
. tions. In some wells bored in Franklin, old salt miners
assert that the salt water thrown out from a two and a
half inch tube would condense into thirty barrels of
salt per day.

During the progress of the work there is more or less
carburetted hydrogen gas set free. This is first noticed
in the sand pump, as it is brought to the surface with

OIL VEINS. 117

its deposit of sand. Minute globules rise to the surface,
lively and sparkling, like a gla^ of soda water. Some-
times this supply is so abundant as to cause an ebulli-
tion on the water of the well at its surface, resembling
the furious boiling of a pot. This exhibition of gas waa
formerly considered a very favorable indic^^tion of oil,
yet is by no means infallible. Still the eager workman
is always on the alert for accompanying symptoms, and
a flow of gas, or better still a vein of oil is hailed with as
much satisfaction as were the joints of cane and banana
leaves, floating on the water, to Columbus and his crew,
as they approached the shores of the new world. Yet
many aiK)ther navigator situated as Columbus was,
would have given over the voyage when almost in sight
of land, with all these indications of success ; or would
have changed the course of his bark so as to have missed
the land after all his anxiety and toil. So now many
an oil seeker, with both gas and small' veins of oil,
wearies and becomes discouraged almost in reach of
a fine vein of oil, as proved by the success of succeeding
workmen in the same well; or perhaps more frequently
he bores past the Vein, leaving it but a few feet or inches
to the right or left of his drill.

In passing through these oil veins their presence is
indicated by the oil rising in the sand-pump, and float*
ing upon the surface of the well. Sometimes they con-
tinue to manifest their presence while the work pro-
gresses; sometimes they disappear altogether, as in
cases where a large vein of water is passed that carries •
the oil with it from the well. In the earlier stages of
the business, this " show of oil," as it is termed, was
considered most favorable to ultimate success; but lat-
terly it is not regarded as essential, as many first class

118 MUD VEINS — DIFFERENT STRATA.

wells liave been discovered without the intermediate
show ; and, on the other hand, there has been many a
brilliant show that has resulted in failure and disap-
pointment.

A strange feature has been discovered in the process
of deep boring, particularly in the Oil creek valley.
This is what is termed a mud vein. It appears to be a
thin stratum of mud or clay of a most tenacious charac-
ter, very annoying to the workmen, and sometimes most
disastrous in its influences upon his work. This stratum
is found at a depth of about five hundred feet from the
surface, and is usually about five inches in thickness.

As the work advances, a register is kept by1;he judi-
cious borer of the different strata passed through, and
also of the veins of water and soil met with, in order to
the formation of an intelligent judgment in the matter
of tubing the well. This, it will be at once perceived,
is of the utmost importance. If the well is a success,
it will be necessary so to arrange the tubing that all
the surface water, and that which proceeds from internal
veins, shall be entirely excluded. It is likewise neces-
sary that the point selected for shutting oS the water
from above be in the smooth solid rock, else the tubing
will be imperfect, and pumping a failure. This point
can be ascertained from the register.

In connection with this register, samples of the rock
at different depths are often preserved. This is done
by putting a small part of the contents of the sand
► pump upon a board, and noting the depth from which
it was obtained. In this way a tolerably clear opinion
can be formed as to the nature of the different strata
passed through. If it were possible to pass down by
removing the rock in solid core, as has been proposed,

DISCOUEAGEMENTS — BREAKING DRILL. 119

Bucli an opinion could be much more correctly and
intelligently formed.

But, as might be readily supposed, this operation of
descending a thousand feet amid the rock is not without
its troubles and discouragements. There is many a
"hill difficulty" on the journey that must be ascended,
albeit the way is downward. Sometimes these difficul-
ties are sufficient to appal the strongest heart, and wear
out the most persistent energy. Sometimes they arise
from want of caution in the workman at the rope, some-
times from an imperfection in dressing and tempering
the drill, and sometimes, perhaps oftenest, from circum-
stances that can neither be foreseen nor avoided.

Sometimes a bit breaks, leaving a piece of hardened
steel deep in the recesses of the rock. When the frag-
ment is small it is often beaten into the sides of the well,
and disappears forever, without much annoyance. When
it is larger the difficulty is great, for it may not be
possible either to beat it to pieces or extract it from its
bed. Sometimes the bit becomes detached from the
auger-stem by reason of the loosening of the screw from
its socket. This difficulty may be aggravated from the
fact that the workmen may not be aware of the displace-
ment, and for hours be beating upon it with the top of
the auger-stem. When this happens various plans
are adopted to extract the truant drill. Sometimes in.
a neighborhood as many tools accumulate, designed for
such accidents, as there are instruments in a surgeon's
office. There are persons, too, who get a reputation for
such skill in extracting implements from wells, that
they are sent for from considerable distances, and
demand extravagant prices for their services. These

120 PAST IN WELL.

instruments are of various forms, at the lower ex-
tremity; but are attached to the auger-stem or sinker
in the same manner as the drill itself. If the bit is
standing perpendicularly at the bottom of the well,
the case is soon disposed of. An instrument with a
spring socket is let down over it, which lays hold
upon the protuberance, just below the thread, and
brings it to the surface. If the drill has been beaten
so that its upper end has been driven into the rock
at the side of the well, the case becomes complicated;
and some other remedy must be applied, and a different
instrument adopted. Oftentimes weeks and months are
consumed in trying different plans, and adopting dif-
ferent remedies, until the patience and resources of the
proprietor are exhausted, and the well is abandoned in
despair.

Again, the drill will sometimes get fast in the well
without any displacement ; ordinarily this difficulty can
be overcome by repeated blows through the medium of
the jars. Lately a difficulty has arisen from the mud
vein, already alluded to, that is in the highest degree
annoying and perplexing to the borer. The mud
will suddenly flow into the well, and settle around
the drill almost as firmly as the rock itself. When
boring on it or below it, the experienced workman,
when about to withdraw his drill will have a hand at
the bull wheel, and the instant the walking-beam ceases
its motion a turn or two will be taken on the wheel so
as to raise the bit above the mud, as it sets almost as
quickly as plaster of Paris. Sometimes, however, this
mud will flow in, and fill up the well for the depth of
twenty feet, burying up the implements even above the

NEW INVENTIONS. 121

jars. This renders the jars useless as a propulsive
power. The workman will now resort to a desperate
experiment. Attaching a knife-blade to a series of poles,
he will manage to cut off the cable just above its
attachment to the sinker, and, then withdrawing it,
attach to the pole a spear-pointed instrument with
which the clog around the implements is effectually
probed, when an extra pair of jars are attached, and
an effort made to jar the unfortunate tools from their
place of burial. It is marvellous what success often
attends the effort to extract tools that are often four
or six hundred feet below the surface. But this success
does not always crown the labors of the indefatigable
borer. Occasionally, after spending almost as much
time and labor as would suffice to bore a new well,
disappointment attends every effort, and it must be
abandoned at last. All over the oil region wells may
be found that have been abandoned, leaving from fifty
to nine hundred pounds of iron and steel deep in their
rocky cells.

As the workmen proceeds, usually the volume of gas
increases as he approaches, what some denominate the
"oil-bearing rock," but which, perhaps, might be more
appropriately named the oil-surrounding rock. In the *
case of flowing wells, when the vein of petroleum is
reached, the gas rushes forth with such violence, and
the upward pressure is so furious as to force the imple-
ments from the well, driving them through the derrick,
in their resistless futy.

The depth to which a well is sunk depends on
many circumstances. Sometimes it is regulated by the
depth of wells in the neighborhood that have prove4
11

122 CURIOSITY.

Buccessful, and sometimea by the " show of oil" in tHe
well. Even when a good vein of oil has been pierced,
and the desirable fluid has been found in large quan-
tities, the well is still sunk many feet deeper, in order
to provide a receptacle for sand and particles of earthy
matter that fall from the sides of the well, and thus
prevent them from clogging up the vein.

But the presence of oil in a well is no infallible
evidence that the work is a success. It may all be
from a few minute veins, that will soon exhaust them-
selves without the aid of the pump. Neither is the
absenofe of oil, even its total lack, any infallible indi-
cation that the well is a failure. The volume of water
from above and around may be keeping it back, until
removed by the pump.

In the beginning of oil operations, the curiosity of
the public was so great as to be a source of serious
annoyance to the workmen. Crowds thronged around
the derricks, all taking a great interest in the work,
eager to become acquainted with its progress, and to
learn of its ultimate success. Several times in the
course of an hour the man seated upon the boring-stool,
would be interrogated as to the depth he had reached,
whether hard or soft rock, how he got clear of the sand
set free in boring, whether he had found much oil, or
how deep he designed to go before giving up. To all
these queries and an hundred others, reasonable and
unreasonable, the good-natured borer was obliged to
make some reply. Sometimes the answers were cor-
rectly made and sometimes not, just as the mood might
be upon him.

Occasionally a new device was resorted to. A flam-

OIL OB CHINA. 123

ing poster was prepared and put up in a conspicuous
place outside the derrick, on whicli the whole state of '
the case was set forth, embodying alike facts, results,
hopes, and assurances. Perhaps it would set forth the
following, or like scheme: — "We are three hundred
feet deep in the sand rock. We have a good show of
oil. We make ten feet per day. We expect to have
a good well. We have no fear of failure. We are
employed and paid for boring this well, and not for
keeping a general intelligence office I'*

Perhaps one of the most suggestive intimations was
found painted on a board, and affixed to the out-
side of the derrick, where patience certainly had room
to have her perfect work. The men had worked long
and persistently without " a smell of oil,** as the work-
men term it, and were still nearing the centre of the
earth at the rate of ten feet per day. Their inscription
was "Oil ob China,*' in blazing capitals. Here wad
the persistent determination of the people where every
man is a sovereign ; the purpose must be accomplished
even if pursued to the other side of the globe.

In this labor the progress depends on the nature of
the rock ; in the shale it is much more rapid than in the
sand rock. Perhaps, on an average, about ten feet per
day is fair progress. At many establiAments the labor
is continued night and day, employing two sets of hands
—one set commencing at noon and continuing until
midnight, the other from midnight until noon. A well
six hundred feet deep will require from five to ten
weeks to accomplish the work, according as the work
is carried on twelve or twenty-four hours per day.

The cost of sinking an oil well to the depth of

124 COST OP siNKiNa a well.

six hundred feet may be learned from the following es-
• timate: —

Forty feet of metal pipe at $6 per foot $240 00

One engine, ten horse-power 1,600 00

Band-wheel and belting 125 00

One set of boring implements 325 00

Derrick complete, with bull- wheel, walking-beam, and

samson-post 100 00

Six hundred feet of cable and sand-pump rope 100 00

Drilling six hundred feet, at $2 50 per foot 1,500 00

Six hundred bushels of coal, at 50 cents 300 00

Total , $4,290 00

To all these a small amount may be added for con-
tingencies. With this view a very near approximation
may be made to the expense of boring an oil well.

In the matter of boring, as in other branches of busi-
ness, new plans have been suggested, and new machines
brought forward, with more or less success. Besides the
implements described at length in this chapter, there
has been brought to notice what is called the Z bit, from
its resemblance on its cutting face to two letters of this
variety crossing each other at right angles at the middle
of the stem. In order to obtain a proper idea, however,
the transverse portion of the letter must be imagined to
be quite long, aUd the parallel portions quite short.
The whole face of the bit corresponding with the differ-
ent portions of the letter is furnished with a cutting
edge. The body of the bit resembles somewhat a black- -
smith's mandrel, and is quite heavy. It is attached to a
cable, and operated as the utensils already described.
The idea of this bit was brought from California, but it
has not yet had sufficient trial to warrant an opinion
being formed as to its merits or demerits.

DIAMOND DRILL. 125

Anotlier instrument has lately been introduced, more
novel in its principle than any that has preceded it. It
is called the " diamond drill," and is said to have been
patented originally in France, by Rudolf Leschand, and
introduced to the United States through the " Scientific
American Patent Agency." The drill consists of a long
thin tube or cylinder of steel, in the lower end of which
fifteen diamonds are set around the circumference.
These diamonds are really the cutting instruments.
The drill is operated by machinery from above, that
gives it a rotary motion of very great velocity. The
rock is cut out in a solid core, and is removed in pieces
by clamps let down from above. By this process the
patentee expects to put down a well of four hundred feet
in two or three weeks. If this plan of boring is suc-
cessful, it will be a valuable improvement in the mat-
ter of boring, both as regards expense and time, as well
as assist in elucidating many interesting questions that
arise in regard to the- rock, the formation of strata, the
frequency of seams and small apertures, as well as other
matters both curious and valuable. This drill, like the
one previously mentioned, has not been in use a sufficient
length of time to test its value and importance.

11*

126 TESTING A WELL.

CHAPTER X.

TUBING AND PUMPING.

After the boring has been successfully accomplished,
the next operation is testing the well. In other words,
it is to decide whether the result of two months* labor,
and the expenditure of several thousand dollars, is simply
a deep, worthless hole in the rock, filled with salt water,
or a bona fide oil well, from which is to flow wealth, and
comfort, and ease. The operation of testing, it may be
supposed, is like that of the merchant as he balances his
books at the close of the year, to ascertain whether he is
wealthy or simply a bankrupt. No wonder the operator
holds his breath as the engine is put in operation, and
the first strokes of the pump begin to exhaust the
chamber. But this work of testing is not the labor of a
day simply. It may be prolonged over many weeks
and months even. No doubt many a vein of oil is
pierced that is lost to the owner of the well, from the
simple fact that the tubing has been defective, and the
means used for exhausting the water inadequate. In
the process of boring, too, a valuable vein of oil may be
closed by the beating and pounding process of reaming,
effectually closing the aperture, as though by the use of
oakum and caulking iron, with a design of excluding the
oil.

The introduction of a tube and pump is the only test

VACUUM FORMED— CHAMBER. 127

that can be depended on in deciding as to the success or
failure of a well. There may be a rich stratum of oil ou
the top of the well, and on the surface of the sand-pump,
and yet the work prove a failure ; for all this oil may be
from minute veins, that will yield but little in the aggre-
gate. Again, there may be no surface show whatever,
and yet the result be a complete success. A vein of
water may be pierced that leads to an oil cavity, it may
be, far away, and it requires but to have this water vein
exhausted in order to set free the oil that is imprisoned
in the rocky bed. We have found the well full to the
surface during all the stages of boring; this must be
overcome, and a vacuum formed low down, and as near
the cavity containing the oil as possible.

Tubing consists in putting a continuous pipe down
to the oil vein, and then excluding the water from
above. This tube is denominated the " chamber** by the
oil men, and varies from two to three inches in diame-
ter, consisting of sections about twelve to fourteen feet in
length, connected together by screw and socket joints.
The sections are put together as the chamber descends
into the well, and detached when it is taken out, as cir-
cumstances render this operation necessary.

At the commencement of oil operations this chamber
was almost universally made of copper. It was supposed
that no other material would successfully resist the action
of the salt water that is found in every oil well. It had,
moreover, the advantage of being light and easily han-
dled. But it . was very expensive, and as prices ad-
vanced, required a small fortune to purchase a pump.
It lacked also in strength, even in wells that were not
very deep, frequently bursting under pressure, and ex-
posing the workmen to tedious and perplexing delays.

128 COPPER AND IRON TUBING.

But when deep boring was resoited to, and wells of from
five to eight hundred feet were to be tubed and pumped,
the use of a copper chamber became impracticable.

The use of iron as a material for the chamber was then
resorted to with almost complete success. It has not
suffered from its saline bath as much as was expected.
It is, as a general thing, shut off from contact with the
atmosphere, and being always coated with oil, the salt
water makes but little impression upon it. This tubing
is of wrought iron, of sufficient thickness to insure
strength, and connected together as the copper chamber
was, with screw and socket joints. The size of the cham-
ber depends on the supposed capacity of the well, being
generally, for pumping wells, from two to three inches
in diameter.

This chamber is put down into
the well, a new joint being added
as each preceding one sinks down
to the level of the derrick floor,
until the lower end reaches the
neighborhood of the oil vein. The
joints are screwed together and de-
tached by the use of a peculiar kind
of tongs, that clasp the chamber
firmly, without at the same time in-
juring it. The register kept .during
the process of bqring enables the
workman, as a general thing, to de-
termine where the vein of oil is to
GAS TONas. -^^ found, and so to arrange the pro-

per length of the chamber.

But there are usually many veins of water passed
through in the process of boring, as well as a heavy body

ADJUSTING SEED-BAG. 129

of surface water pressing into the well, and some device
must be resorted to in order to shut off this water from
the oil vein, and thus produce a vacuum. This is ac-
complished by applying what is called a "seed-bag" to
the tube at the point where this shutting off would be
desirable. This point, too, is regulated by the register,
as it is important that it be in smooth, solid rock.

The seed-bag is a tube of strong leather, about eighteen
inches in length, and of a diameter somewhat larger than
that of the well. This leathern cylinder, or pipe, is put
around the metallic tube at the proper point, and firmly
tied at the lower end. From a pint to a quart of flax-
seed is then poured in, and the upper end tied rather
more slightly than the lower. When the chamber is
sunk to its place in the well, the seed in this leathern
receptacle swells so that in a few hours the bag distends
and effectually shuts off all water from above. When it
is necessary to withdraw the tubing from the well, the
effort of raising it will break the slight fastening at the
upper end of the leathern sack, permitting the seed to
escape, turn the bag wrong side outwards, and leave it
in proper condition for filling, and readjusting when the
tube is returned to the well.

Other devices have been proposed to accomplish the
same purpose as the seed-bag, but as yet nothing
has succeeded so well as the old-fashioned arrangement
of the leathern sack filled with flaxseed. It is simple, it
is practical, it accomplishes the purpose. Other methods
that have been proposed are cumbrous, difficult in their
adjustment, and so far have not succeeded in fulfilling
the expectations that were entertained in regard to
them.

The well being successfully tubed, if it be a flowing

130 PUMP-BARREL — SUCKER-RODS.

well, the gas and oil will flow forth without any farther
trouble from the engine, or any other power. If there
is not sufficient gas to force the oil up, preparations must
be made for pumping.

For wells that are to be pumped, a pump-barrel is
placed at the lower end of the tube, to be worked by a
piston. The valves at the lower end of this pump-barrel
are of various kinds, sometimes working with a hinge,
and sometimes as a detached ball. To the piston in the
pump are attached "sucker-rods,'* reaching to the top,
and attached to the walking-beam used in boring the
well. These sucker-rods are of wood, in joints about
twenty feet long, and connected together by iron sockets
and screws, and are connected together and detached as
they are put into the well or taken out. When taken
out, both the chamber and sucker-rods are set on end in
one corner of the derrick; and in their operation the
bull- wheel and pulley attached to the derrick play an
important part.

The top of the chamber, when adjusted in the well,
usually extends about six or eight feet above the derrick
floor. Sometimes a tub or a half barrel is placed on the
top, with a tube running from near the top of the tub
into the oil tank. Sometimes there is simply a tube con-
necting with the chamber, at an angle sufficient to con-
duct the oil and water into the tank.

The testing of an oil well is often very tedious and
perplexing. It may yield nothing but water, and that
at such a rate as almost to induce the workmen to be-
lieve there is an underground communication with the
river. Perhaps there is a vein of water below the seed-
bag, or "it may be there is a crevice or fracture in the
rock just at the point where the seed-bag is placed, per-

EXHAUSTING THE WATEE. 131

mitting the water to run in from above. The sucker-
rods are drawn out, then the chamber, piece by piece,
and the seed-bag adjusted to a new place, and the whole
put in again. The second trial, perhaps, succeeds no
better than the first. New theories are advanced, and
new trials made of re-adjusting the tubing. Perhaps, in
their desperation, the workmen may put the pump in
operation, and continue for weeks pumping salt water,
when at last the oil will begin to flow, rewarding their
persistent efforts with a copious yield. The philosophy
in this case seems to be, that the cavities containing the
oil are a long distance away, and that the avenues lead-
ing to them are filled with water in a sluggish state,
with, perhaps, a stratum of gas preventing a single drop
or* globule of oil finding its way through the water.
When this latter is removed by the pump, the vacuum
opens the way for the oil, and if the cavity is sufficient,
the flow will be copious.

Often, however, this persistent pumping proves fruit-
less, and resort is had to re-adjusting the tubing and so
on for weeks and months. Instances are on record
where this re-adjustment has taken place as many as
fifty times, resulting in success at last. But the result
is oftentimes failure after all the labor and experiment-
ing that can be brought to bear. Either there is no oil,
or the manner of tubing has been defective throughout,
and the adventure is a total loss.

In the shallower wells the proportion of water thrown
out by the pump is very great. Veins of water are
sometimes passed below those that yield oiL Sometimes
this bit of experience proves fatal to many a promising
oil vein. In this case, attempts are sometimes made to
stop up the well below the vein of oil, but this is diffi-

132 CLOSING OP VEINS.

cult, as the vacuum above assists the upward pressure
of the water below, and the obstruction yields to the
combined attack and gives way, deluging the well with
water again. In the deeper wells, especially those reach-
ing into the third sand rock, particularly where
the seed-bag is attached within the third sand rock,
this difficulty is not so much in the way. In fact, it
is the opinion of many operators of experience and
judgment, that there is no water found in and below the
third sand rock, and that if the well be properly tubed,
the pump will present no water at all, but a constant
stream of pure oil. Let the value of this theory be what
it may, the fact is on record, that from deep wells water
is often entirely excluded.

Another difficulty that meets the workmen occasion-
ally is, that without any known cause the well will cease
its yield, where the tubing has not been disturbed.
Sometimes, doubtless, this result takes place because the
oil has all been exhausted from a small cavity, or crevice
of limited extent. But this is not always the cause.
It may result from the settling down of the sand and
mud from the sides of the well, or from crevices in the
rock over the vein, clogging it up. In this case the
remedy would consist in withdrawing the chamber, and,
with the sand-pump, extracting the sediment, and per-
haps boring the well somewhat deeper. Instances are
observed, too, where wells that had yielded plentifully
have gradually lessened their supply, and finally ceased
altogether after having thrown out for a time minute
particles of parafine, thereby suggesting the idea that
this substance had gradually accumulated until it had'
closed the orifices. In such cases two remedies have

REMEDIED BY STEAM OE THE TORPEDO. -133

been sugested, and either one has in a few instances
resulted in success.

The first is by the use of steam. A small gas tube is
put down the chamber, and a jet of steam is forced
down from the engine, until the gradual heat is sup-
posed to melt the parafine, and thus open the veins.
Under favorable circumstances this is practicable. Para-
fine melts at 112°, and, if the water is pretty thoroughly
exhausted, that amount of heat might be attained by
the injection of steam for that length of time.

The other remedy attempted has been a kind of
torpedo, or strong water-tight box filled with powder,
and exploded by a galvanic battery. This explosion is
supposed to distend the opening, enlarging the veins,
and preparing for the flow of the oil to the region of
the pump.

The §imple fact that these remedies often fail is no
Evidence against the soundness of the philosophy on
which they are based. The idea of firing upon a be-
leaguered city or garrison by means of mortar batteries is
certainly feasible and philosophical, yet it has its diffi-
culties and discouragements. Perhaps not one-half nor
one-fourth of the shot reach their destination, but fall
harmlessly in out of the way places, and no one knows
what becomes of them. Still mortar fleets and batteries
will be used under certain circumstances, and with a
reasonable prospect of doing good service. And it is by
trying various kind of experiments, that seem calculated
to answer the end in view, that difficulties, like those
spoken of, can reasonably be hoped to be removed.

The question here becomes a very interesting one
whether in pumping, wells ever interfere with each
other. At the first stages of proceedings it was thought
12

134 CASES OF CONSCIENCE.

that they did not, and that all fears in regard to this
were groundless. But subsequent developments indicate
that there is a connection in some instances by means
of which oil is drawn from one well to another. In one
instance, the vein or cavity that had been drawn from,
for a length of time, by a successful borer, was tapped
by an enterprising neighbor, when all proceedings were
at once stopped on the part of the first, the second
adventurer taking all the oil. The result was that a
compromise was affected, the two wells pumping alter-
nate days.

This state of affairs has given rise to a number of
curious questions in casuistry, or " cases of conscience,"
as the old fathers called them, not laid down in the
books, and that have been generally adjudicated without
recourse to courts of law. So far there seems to be a
disposition to do justly, to deal equitably with each
other, and to consider the business a common one, in
which they are all interested. It is something of the
feeling that binds people together in new countries,
where they feel that mutual concessions and looking
after the general welfare is the duty of each individual.

One of these cases arose in this wise. A well had
been pumping with considerable success for a length
of time. The body of water had been heavy, yet by
vigorous pumping it was kept down, and a fair propor-
tion of oil was obtained. Another party bored a well
in the neighborhood, and on commencing to pump found
nothing but water. He persevered for a time although
the result was not changed, yet to his neighbor, the first
operator, there was a decided advantage as the quantity
of oil was very materially increased. The second party
finally concluded to abandon the work as unproductive.

CONTINUOUS PUMPING. 135

The first then proposed to pay the second for pumping
water, as the advantage to him was very great. This
arrangement was entered into, when, after a time, well
number two commenced yielding oil, and number one
began to fail, and its proprietor discovered that he was
paying his neighbor for robbing him. And yet it was
involuntary robbery brought about by the mysterious
operations of the rocky labyrinth beneath.

As to the regularity of pumping there is a difference
in wells, particularly among the smaller ones. Gene-
rally it is of the greatest importance to pump continu-
ously, both day and night, in order, at times, to keep
down the volume of water, and at other times because
the amount of oil gradually increases day after day, by
means of such pumping. In the earlier stages of the
business, and when wells were not bored very deep, this
was particularly observable. If they " rested the Sab-
bath, according to the commandment,** on Monday
morning the proportion of oil was small, but each day
of the week it increased until Saturday night, indicat-
ing that there was a connection with water veins some-
where, and that steady and severe pumping was neces-
Bary to overcome the water.

But there are other instances where no damage has
resulted from a cessation of pumping for a time ; and
even where the pump has rested altogether during the
night, experience proving that as much oil could be
pumped in twelve hours as in twenty-four. This state
of affairs is, no doubt due to the fact that the water was
excluded in large volume, and that the oil was contained
in a cavity of limited extent, fed by small fissures, and
that when this cavity was nearly exhausted by a day's
pumping the rest of the night permitted the cavity to

136 AIR-PUMP.

fill up and be ready for the next day's operations. This
condition of things belongs rather to wells of small
capacity ; in the deeper and large producing ones, stop-
ping operations for any great length of time has some-
times operated disastrously. Instances are known where
a rest of a few weeks or months has entirely ruined the
well, or, as the workmen term it, the oil has been lost.
Perhaps this result has occurred generally where numer-
ous other wells have been pumping in the same neigh-
borhood, that have attracted the oil in their direction,
until it has ceased to flow in the old channels. In this
case, either the inducement is greater in the new, or
the old veins have become obstructed from mechanical
causes.

In all these matters observation and experience are
the best teachers, and the true policy is to operate with
a given well in such a way as close observation shall
indicate to be best under the circumstances of its loca-
tion and surroundings.

Another way of bringing the oil to the surface, where
sufficient gas is present to answer the purpose, is to
remove the ordinaiy chamber, and in its stead put down
a gas pipe of a half or three-quarters of an inch in
diameter, with the usual seed bag attachment. This
small tube so confines the gas that often a small flowing
well is extemporized that will yield as much oil daily
as could be pumped in the same time, and with little
or no expense.

A late invention has been patented that does away
with the pump as a means of raising the oil to the sur-
face, by using an air-pump in forcing condensed air into
the well, and thus acting in the same manner as gas
in forcing the oil up the pipe. The arrangement is

MUDDY OIL. 137

simple : two pipes are put down into the well paralld
to each other. One, called the discharge pipe, is an inch
and a half in diameter, having an enlarged cup at
the lower end to receive the oik The other, called the
blast pipe, is connected with the air-pump above, whilst
below it is turned up like the short leg of a syphon,
so as to enter the cup-like opening of the discharge pipe,
and tapers at the nozzle to one-third of an inch in diame-
ter. This arrangement is designed particularly for wells
of great depth. In some instances where it has been
tried in wells that have been obstructed it has proved a
valuable aid in overcoming the obstructions, and prepar-
ing the way for the ordinary lifting pump. It has not
been sufficiently tested, however, to enable the public
to decide upon its final merits. It is claimed for this
arrangement that it acts not only "by the momentum
due to its velocity; but, mingling with the oil, lessens
the weight of the ascending column, and thus aids the
work."

A difficulty has arisen in regard to the quality of the
oil produced in some wells. Sometimes they will pump
or flow what is termed '* muddy oil," or "riley oil," the
latter term being more provincial than classical. In this
condition of the oil it is, as the term would indicate,
mixed with mud — not only sand, but an argillaceous, ad-
hesive mud, that is held in precipitation, though not in
solution, by it. So firm and tenacious is the grasp of the
oil in this mischievous compound, that it is extremely
difficult to separate them. This state of affairs is ex-
cessively annoying to oil men. The matter of sepa-
rating the mud from the oil is difficult and perplexing,
and unless it is perfectly accomplished the oil is damaged
12*

138 PREPARATION OP TANKS.

in the market. It is the opinion of some that this is
produced by muddy water running into wells that
have been abandoned, and finding its way to the oil
cavities, but it seems due rather to the influence of the
"mud veins" referred to in chapter ix. The agitation
of the gas, and oil, and water, either in pumping or flow-
ing wells, may, under certain circumstances, dissolve and
set free the substance of the mud vein, and thus produce
the phenomena of muddy oil.

The cost of tubing a well six hundred feet in depth,
and inserting pumping apparatus, may be stated as fol-
lows: — • •

Six hundred feet of chamber at 60 cents $360 00

Pump barrel 35 00

Six hundred feet of sucker-rods, at 17 cents 102 00

Two pairs of gas-tongs 12 00

Total $509 00

In connection with pumping, the preparation of tanks
or vessels to receive the oil as it comes from the well is
one of great importance. Generally the oil is mingled
with a large proportion of water, which must be separated
from it before it can be barrelled and sent to market.
For small wells, this tank is usually constructed of
planks, keyed togeth^ within a frame work, and made
water-tight. Into this tank the oil and water flow from
the discharge-pipe of the well, where the superior gra-
vity of the salt water causing it to sink to the bottom,
the oil is found at the surface. The water is then drawn
from the bottom of the tank, and the oil from above is
received into barrels.

This arrangement answers very well in connection
with wells of small capacity, and when the demand for

MONSTER TANKS. 139

the product was brisk, but in prtcess of time, when large
wells were opened, and particularly flowing wells, the
matter of tanks became a very important one. A plank
box no longer answered the purpose ; it might be filled in
an hour. The plan of hydraulic cisterns under ground,
like rain-water cisterns, was suggested, and experiments
made by workers in hydraulic lime, but the experiments
failed ; the petroleum is of so subtle and permeating a
nature that it finds its way through substances that
will retain water with ease.

An attempt was made to construct large tanks of up-
right hoops banded with iron, but having earthen bot-
toms puddled with potter's clay, and with a stratum of
water on the top of the clay. But the oil men soon
found in the gutters and inequalities around the cistern,
oil to such an extent that a profitable trade might have
been carried on in gathering it up. This plan was aban-
doned. The general plan now, is to construct an im-
mense tub of planks, hooped with iron, having a
plank bottom. These tanks are sometimes twenty-four
feet in diameter and sixteen feet high, and will contain,
perhaps, ten to twelve thousand barrels of petroleum.
Oftentimes a number of large tanks are found con-
nected with the flowing wells ; usually, however, they
are not so large, but contain, perhaps, three or four thou-
sand barrels, and increase in number what they lack in
quantity. The latter plan, although a little more ex-
pensive than the former, is the safest, as an accident hap-
pening to one may not be communicated to the others,
whereas, if all the product of a well is stored in one
tank a slight accident may destroy it all.

In these tanks the petroleum is received from the
wells, separated from the water, and retained until it

140 GAS AS FUEL.

can be put into barrels and sent to market. A large
amount of tankage at the wells renders the market more
sjbeady and regular, as it can be kept on hand, and not
forced on the market for want of a place of storage.
This, together with the amount of capital now thrown
into the oil trade, has latterly prevented the panics in
the market that at one time characterized it, and opera-
ted so disastrously to many persons engaged in the
business.

Sometimes, in very cold weather, the separation of oil
and water becomes slow and difficult, and to remedy this
the steam-pipe of the engine is conducted into the tank,
and by the assistance of a drum at the bottom, the heat
necessary to promote this separation is obtained.

The fuel used for the engines is bituminous coal ; but
this is expensive, and resort is had to the use of the gas
that escapes from the well. In some wells this is amply
sufficient for the purpose, in others it answers in part,
the lack being supplemented by coal. The apparatus
for collecting the gas is very simple. The oil and gas
together, as they come ft:om the well, are received in the
top of a barrel or hogshead. A pipe from near the bot-
tom conveys the oil to the tank, and another from near
the top conducts the gas to the fire-chamber in the
engine. The pipes are so regulated that about the pro-
per amount of space is preserved at the top of the barrel
to receive the gas, the pressure of the oil forcing it to the
fire-chamber. The only danger to be guarded against is
fire, but, as yet, this has not proved a formidable danger,
and the plan works to very great advantage.

NEW FEATUEB. 141

CHAPTER XI.

FLOWING WELLS.

The business of boring and pumping was proceeding
regularly and iencouragingly, when a new feature pre-
sented itself that was most startling, and, in some re-
spects, disastrous. Wells were being bored along Oil
creek, the Allegheny, French creek, and their tributa-
ries, and were in all stages of development. Some had
simply erected their derricks, some were an hundred feet
in the rock, and others actually pumping, when the
change came that wrought ruin to the hopes of many an
ardent operator.

In the Oil creek region, some of the smaller wells
having been exhausted, resort was had to deeper boring.
One hopeful theorist imagined that if the desirable fluid
came from a very great depth, it might be good policy
to seek it in a stratum still nearer its rocky home. So
down he penetrated, regardless of the "fine show of oil"
that presented itself by the way, until, at the depth of
five hundred feet in the rock, a veiu of mingled oil and
water was reached that literally forced the boring imple-
ments from the well. The oil continued to flow with a
constant stream, after this sudden exodus of the imple-
ments, rising to a height of sixty feet above the surface
of the ground, and was occasionally accompanied by a
roaring sound, like the Geysers of Iceland.

142 ANXIETY FOR A PLOWING WELL.

Here was a new feature in oil operations. Heretofore
the production had been the result of slow and painful
pumi)ing, and this at the rate of a few barrels per day ;
here was a spontaneous yield of hundreds of barrels
daily, without expense or labor. Was it possible to con-
tinue this inexpensive process? Was it possible to carry
on the trade by simply perforating the rocky crust, and
then trusting to the mysterious forces of nature to pour
forth the petroleum in indefinite quantities ? It seemed
BO from this exhibition, and yet, if it were so, a complete
revolution must take place in the business. Oil would
become cheap as water, and the business become at once
unprofitable. Notwithstanding all this, the idea was a
brilliant one, and men seized upon it with avidity. The
idea of flowing wells for the spontaneous production of
petroleum, once inaugurated, must be pursued at once,
and with persistent energy. There was not only a spon-
taneous yield, but a yield in enormous quantities. So a
"pumping well," as it was called, was voted a slow
institution, and parties who had been satisfied with the
old order of things, and were growing rich on the pro-
ceeds of pumping, renewed the operation of boring near
their old sites, and many, at the depth of the first flowing
well, met with like success. Parties also, that were
boring, continued on in spite of all oil indications, to the
depth of five hundred feet and beyond, and many of
them were rewarded by opening the way to veins of oil
and gas that gushed forth spontaneously and continu-
ously. Every man on the creek was anxious to have a
flowing well, although the product might remain useless
upon his hands. The dark green fluid represented
wealth; it had made many rich, and large quantities
were desirable in any event.

EFFECTS ON THE TBADB. 143

But the operation of these wells was disastrous to the
trade generally during the first six months of their flow.
Their enormous yield had the effect of bringing down
the price of petroleum to so low a figure that pumping
wells were at once closed. The proceeds would not pay
for the fuel — scarcely even for the payment of the work-
men , and at once the entire business, with the exception
of a few wells at Franklin and French creek, that yielded
heavy lubricating oil, was confined to the valley of Oil
creek, then the region of flowing wells. Oil at once fell
to a price much below that of the barrel that contained
it. Parties sending their barrels, or "packages," as the
oil men call them, to these flowing wells could have them
filled at one cent per gallon, or less if they had the heart
to ask it. It could be bought for less at the wells
than common creek water has latterly been selling at in
the streets of Franklin.

Of course, there was at once a panic in the oil region.
Whereunto would this matter grow ? Some wise heads
predicted that in a few days the stream would cease to
flow, and sat down to watch its decreasing volume,
growing " small by degrees, and beautifully less." But
this was of no avail. The stream seemed to increase
rather than decrease. It was like the countryman sit-
ting upon a dry-goods box on Broadway waiting until
the crowd got by. Others, equally wise, thought they
saw in this new phase of things not only disaster, but
utter and total ruin to the oil business. The market
would be overstocked ; it would not be worth an ambiti-
ous man's attention ; the ship was sinking, and must be
abandoned at once. One extreme generally follows
another, and persons who had a few weeks before con-
sidered the oil business the great, hopeful business of

144 PHILOSOPHY OP FLOWING WELLS.

the, age now condemned it as the prince of humbugs, and

Venango county the great "Vanity Fair" of the earth,

" So swift trod sorrow on the heels of joy !"

On the Allegheny and French creek, wells were
abandoned, leases forfeited, and machinery removed as
the operators shook the dust from their feet, as a testi-
mony against the wicked and deceptive region where
they had spent their money for nought. There was
some ground for this discouragement, still it was not
altogether justifiable. It would have been better to
take in the sails, bolt down the hatches, and wait until
the storm had passed by ; or at least attempted to weather
it out.

These flowing wells were found at the depth of about
five hundred feet in the rock, and usually in what is
termed the "third sand rock." They are tubed as
other wells, with the exception that the pump attach-
ment is wanting, and the tube has an elbow some eight
feet from the derrick floor, from which the discharge
pipe leads into the tank. In some of these wells the
stream is pure oil, in others mingled oil and water, in
each instance accompanied, of course, by gas, that is the
motive power. The quality of the stream, whether pure
oil or oil and water, depends, as will be hereafter seen,
on the particular point in the vein perforated, in rela-
tion to the cavity containing the oil.

The philosophy of flowing wells may be readily under-
stood from a diagram. We may imagine cavities in the
rock beneath of every conceivable form and size. The
strata that is generally termed the oil bearing rock may
have been contorted and broken by some internal convul-
sions of nature, through the agency of heat and gas, so
as to form caverns of great extent. These caverns have

ILLUSTRATION.

145

connected with them seams, and leaders, and cavities
usually termed veins. In these cavities the oil is col-
lected and stored away. But water also forces its
way through crevices, and is found in connection with
the oil ; gas also will be found in the same receptacles.
Now, it is not only probable but absolutely certain that
these three fluids will be found in the cavities of the
rock beneath, in the same relative position that they are
found in the covered tanks around the wells. The
water will be found on the bottom, the oil next, and
gas on the top, pressing against the top or roof of the
cavity, and becoming greatly compressed by the forcing
in of the water below. Let the engraving then repre-

sent a section of the rock strata from the surface down-
wards. The cavity, of course, is imaginary, yet cuu-

13

146 - EXPLANATION.

ceivaMe, containing water below, then oil, with gas in a
compressed state above. If we conceive a small vein or
cavity leading in the direction from a to 5, filled with
water, with a well sunk (c) from above, and striking this
vein at h, we will see at once that a flowing well will be
the result. The tremendous pressure of the confined
gas at the top of the cavity will force the oil and water
downwards, and through the vein to the point where it
is tapped, and so up through the chamber with a force
proportioned to the volume of the gas and the constancy
of its supply from other cavities ; it may be far down in
the regions below. If the cavity indicated be very large,
and the connection with other cavities be by means of
large crevices and veins, we may suppose that the
supply will be constant, and the flowing well continue
in operation for quite a length of time, though it can
hardly be expected to be permanent.

If the vein tapped connects with the cavity in the
region filled with gas, or at the point a, there will be an
explosion of gas, and it is barely possible that the reac-
tion of the gas on the oil may cause it to flow, particu-
larly after the water has been removed from the vein
with a pump ; but this is doubtful, and especially is it
questionable whether, under such circumstances, the oil
would flow for any length of time. Still tapping a vein
like this would readily beget a pumping well, for after
the gas was removed the pressure of water from other
veins would raise the oil to the sphere of the influence
exerted by the pump, and there would be a pumping
well accompanied at times with considerable annoyance
from gas. And this is not an unusual result. Some-
times the pump works with difiiculty on account of the
presence of gas, and occasionally by the introduction of

FIEST FLOWING WELL. ^ 147

a very small tube, oil has been made to flow in small
quantities. *

The history and amount of production of some of these
flowing wells is interesting. The first one was developed
on the McElhaney farm, and is usually known as the
Funk well, being bored by a man of that name. It
was opened in June, 1861, and at once commenced flow-
ing at the rate of two hundred and fifty barrels per day.
In the face of all past experience, and all ill-boding
prophecies of speedy failure, it continued to yield a
constant supply for one year and three months. In the
fall of the same year a flowing well was opened on the
Tarr farm that completely eclipsed the Funk well. This
was the Philips' well, and commenced at two thousand
barrels per day. This was followed by the Empire well
at the modest rate of three thousand barrels daily!
This was the "eagle's highest flight," and the wells
stayed at this in quantity though not in number.

These were followed in irregular succession by others.
The Noble well yielded twenty-five hundred ; Caldwell,
eight hundred; Maple Shade, one thousand; Jersey, five
hundred ; Coquette, fifteen hundred ; Reid, one thousand
— this latter is on Cherry run ; and so on down to ten
barrels per day, literally fuUfilling the words of Job,
** The rock poured me out rivers of oil."

Some of these wells were bored under extreme difficulty,
and sore discouragement, arising from want of means
and straitened ckcumstances. It must have been a glad
sight to see the mighty current gushing forth after so
much labor, and toil, and discouragement.

The history of the Funk well is briefly this. Captain
Funk was the possessor of a few modest acres on Oil
creek ; but lived in Titusville a few miles above. When

148 HISTORY OF SHEBMAN WELL.

the oil business commenced, encouraged by the success
of some of his neighbors, he resolved to attempt putting
a well down on his. own farm. He gave, a lease
to a man by the name of McElhaney who undertook
the task of drilling a well by the tedious process of
working the spring-pole by his foot. This plan worked
well enough until the well was perhaps one hundred
feet deep, when the labor became too burdensome. A
horse-power was substituted, and the work carried for-
ward to completion.

The Sherman well, also, has an interesting history. Mr.
Sherman came to the oil region a man of very limited
means, but could command a small capital belonging
to his wife. He obtained a lease on the Foster farm,
and commenced to put down a well by hand. He had
a fine show of oil, but long before reaching any consider-
able vein, the wife's funds gave out. Working by hand
was no longer possible on account of the depth of the
well, and there was no means at hand of purchasing a
horse. After working until something should turn up,
an interest in the well was finally exchanged for a horse,
and the work proceeded. But after a while the work
became too onerous for the poor horse, and the well was
once more at a dead stand. At last a farther interest in
the well was bartered to two men who owned a small
engine, and the work once again went forward. But
coal was expensive, and none of the partners were able
to purchase, and the work was suspended. A sixteenth
interest was now offered for sale in order to purchase
fuel, when, after waiting for a time, it was disposed of
for eighty dollars and an old shot gun. The money and
perhaps the shot-gun were just about expended, and the
spirits of the partners down to the lowest ebb, when the

LOSS OF OIL. 149

bit plumped into a cavity that at once yielded fifteen
hundred barrels per day. The partners in faith and
sorrow, how had no longer need for either the dilapi-
dated horse nor the little engine that had done them
such good service ; nature worked the pump on her own
account, and all the owners had to do was to barrel the
oil, and receive the proceeds. This well decreased to
seven hundred barrels, and at the end of about two
years became a pumping well. It is now a valuable
well of that description, and is doing its owners good
service.

These wells were unequally distributed along the
creek. The Maple Shade, Jersey, Keystone, and Co-
quette are all on the Egbert farm ; the Sherman on the
Foster, and the Noble on the Ferrel farm.

Flowing wells were at the outset necessarily accompanied
by a great loss of oil. At first wells were bored with
the hope but not with the certainty of oil, and the tank
was usually a secondary consideration. When the first
wells were opened, producing such grand results, there
was little or no tankage ready to receive it, and the oil
ran into the creek and flooded the land around the wells
until it lay in small ponds. Pits were dug in the ground
to receive it, and dams constructed to secure it, yet
withal the loss was very great. In addition, oil fell to
so low a figure that few comparatively were willing to
hazard purchasing at any price. The consequence was
that the river was flooded with oil, and hundreds of
barrels were gathered from the surface as low down as
Franklin, and prepared as lubricating oil. Even below
this point oil could be gathered in the eddies and still
water along the shore, and was distinctly perceptible
13*

150 WELL ON FIEE.

as far down as Pittsburgh, one hundred and forty miles
below.

These erratic institutions were almost as difl&cult to
manage as was Pegasus of old. They " played fantastic
tricks" when least expected, throwing the oil over the
workmen, deluging the region around, and, in one case,
where the vein of oil was suddenly opened, setting fire
to the machinery, destroying the workmen's tools, and
raging with appalling fury.

One notable instance of this kind must here be related.
It is a tragical chapter in the history of petroleum opera-
tions, the result of which settled like a gloomy incubus
upon the oil regions at the time. It was at the first
flowing well that was struck, and was known as the
" Burning Well," and located on the ** John Buchanan
Reserve," a part of the "Buchanan farm." The well
had reached a depth of over three hundred feet when a
column of gas rushed up that seemed to fill the whole
region around. This gas was ignited by the fire of the
engine that was pumping the Wadsworth well, eighty to
one hundred feet distant. The first explosion was from
the tank at the Wadsworth well, containing about one
hundred and fifty barrels erf oil. Immediately afterwards
"the well exploded," as expressed by a bystander, with
a shock like that of an earthquake, shaking every
house on the Buchanan farm. All this occurred within
thirty minutes after striking the vein in the well; in
the meantime the mingled oil and gas was pouring
from the orifice with terrible fury. It seemed as though
the earth was vomiting flame threatening to fill the
whole valley as with a sea of fire. The fiery column
reached far above the derrick that was soon consumed,
accompanied with dense volumes of black smoke, roaring

MELANCHOLY SCENES. 151

like a hurricane, turning and bending in every direction
as the wind veered from one point to another.

There were at the time of the explosion from ninety to
one hundred persons standing around the wellf many of
whom were soon enveloped in the flames and saturated
with the scalding burning fluid. Many of these persons
had their clothing saturated in an instant with the
spouting oil when the flames at onc6 seized hold of them,
and rendered them helpless in its fiery grasp. Of thirty-
eight men, more or less severely burned, eighteen died.
Among the latter was Mr. H. K. Rouse, one of the pro-
prietors of the well, and one of the most enterprising
and energetic of the business men along the valley of
Oil creek. Some of the victims could not be removed, *
and were left in the midst of the flames until well nigh
consumed.

The scene was grand and awful, and had it not been
for the suffering and loss of life that attended it, would
have been interesting beyond description. Now the
flame and smoke seemed to play upon the summit of the
lofty hills and over the tree-tops, and soon they would
swoop down into the valley like an eagle on his prey,
accompanied by the hissing, roaring' sound that added
to the terrible accompaniments of the scene.

This fire continued five days, and was finally extin-
guished by digging up earth and carrying it upon blanket^
and smothering the flames. After the fire was extin-
guished about sixty feet of chamber were put in the well,
when it flowed about twenty thousand barrels, and
ceased. After this a new chamber was extended down
to the second sank rock, about three hundred feet from
the surface, and a pump inserted, but no oil was found.

152 WHAT FLOWING WELLS HAVE DONE.

Subsequently it was bored to the depth of five hundred
feet, but as yet without success.

Other cases of fire have occurred on the creek re-
sulting in much damage, but without the loss of life,
save a few instances, where oil had been used as a
kindling material in houses. A remarkable case of fire
occurred at Oil City, where numerous boats taking fire,
floated down the river, and consumed the bridge over
the Allegheny river at Franklin.

With all the disadvantages to smaller wells, and the
loss of oil from irregular operations, these flowing wells
have done a good work, for the general interests of the
trade. Before their advent in the field of operation, the
process of introducing oil generally throughout our own
country was slow and irregular. The people had doubts
in regard to the permanence of the supply. The price
was too high almost to justify doubtful experiments, and
the old tallow candle was battling manfully for his
ancient rights, and for the defence of his tottering
throne. The exports were very small indeed^ arising
from the same cause ; and it needed some mighty in;-
pulse to introduce the oil to general use both at home
and abroad. It required some greater stimulus, too,
than the pumping wells to bring petroleum into use for
other purposes besides that of a light producer.

The reign of flowing wells was just what -was required.
They deluged the popular mind; they deluged the coun-
try. Prices came down at once so that the article, beau-
tifully refined, could be purchased for twenty cents per
gallon, and burned freely in the humblest households.
The tallow candle was no longer king. With the ruin
of his empire he came down from his throne gracefully,
and "retired to some sequestered spot" to come no more

WILL THEY FAIL? 153

into public view. Petroleum was at once introduced to
all parts of the country, and experiments made upon it
for various purposes, causing an increased demand to be
made for it from all classes of the community. It was
introduced into foreign countries, and its value and
importance tested there, until it became a necessity there
as well as at home.

The result has been that petroleum came to be consid-
ered a necessity, and the demand became regular, or
rather continued to increase even after prices were raised
to the old rates that prevailed previous to the reign of
flowing wells. The people could not go back to the old
days of candles and lard oil lamps, after having experi-
ence in a substitute, so much superior. It would be like
going back frdm civilization to barbarism. And thus the
trade was at once firmly established. At one mighty
bound it took its place as one of the great, if not the
greatest, staples in the world's market, and its success
was placed beyond a peradventure.

But the question naturally arises in regard to the flow-
ing wells, "Will they not fail?" "Can they be looked
upon as permanent?" Most undoubtedly they will all
ultimately fail. It cannot be hoped that they will con-
tinue their spontaneous yield for any great length of
time, for, from the very principles on which they act,
they must soon exhaust themselves. True, artesian
wells flow on from year to year, without exhaustion.
But they act on different principles. The water from
them is forced up by the pressure of a fountain head that
simply forces the water to its own level, and as long as
the fountain continues the well must flow. But flowing
wells appear to be due to the simple pressure of gas con-

154 GENEBAL GOOD.

fined and compressed with the oil, and as soon as this is
exhausted the well must cease to flow.

This is not only probable in theory, but has proved
correct in fact. The history of all flowing wells, so far
as they have continued long enough to have a history,
has been, that they have gradually declined in the yield,
until they have subsided altogether. And this will no
doubt be the history of every flowing well that will be
opened. Nor is this an undesirable feature, if wa take
in the interests of the entire oil region at a glance. The
few who have an interest in these large concerns may
desire their continuance, yet it would be at the sacrifice
of smaller or pumping wells ; and a good pumping well
should satisfy the desires of any reasonable man. The
whole business would be more equally adjusted, and the
price of oil be steadier and more regular, if all the wells
in the oil valleys were operated by pumps. Still these
flowing concerns are yet doing good service at times,
breaking forth and attracting attention to i^ew territory,
and developing regions where little attention had hitherto
been directed.

We need not necessarily suppose that because a well
ceases to flow the supply has been exhausted. The
quantity may have been reduced, and the gas withdrawn
to such a degree that it has no longer sufficient expulsive
power to force the oil to the surface. In this case a
pump-barrel and sucker-rods inserted, and the assistance
of the engine invoked, it may yet prove to be a good
pumping well. It may do good service still. And his-
tory corroborates this theory. Almost all the wells
enumerated, after indulging in ground and lofty tumbling
for a time, have settled down into regular habits. They
have sown their wild oats and become regular and or-

PUMPING A FLOWING WELL. 155

derly in their habits, and bid fair to live to a ripe
and unctuous old age, bearing joy and gladness to those
whom they serve.

It is probable, however, that when these wells come
down to the degree of pumping institutions, they will
not yield as largely as many that have not aspired to the
dignity of flowing wells. The supply, it is likely, was
drawn in the days of their glory from enormous cavities
that have been chiefly drained, yet still are fed from
other cavities beneath, by means of small veins or leaders
in the rock ; and the pump can only withdraw this new
supply as it is gradually presented by these small aper-
tures. A well, then, that has yielded in its palmy days
two or three thousand barrels daily, and comes down to
ten or fifteen barrels, and this extracted through the
persuasive power of a pump, may continue to yield,
unless its crevices become filled up by mechanical means,
for many years, and prove as valuable as those that have
been pumping wells from the beginning.

Attempts have been made at various times to close
the chambers of flowing wells by means of a stop-cock,
and thus draw upon their ample resources just as the
supply was needed, but the attempt did not succeed well.
The efiect was found to be damaging to the well. In
some cases the supply began to fail and threaten total
destruction to the value of the well. In such cases, it is
probable there were connections with other cavities and
veins that had been pierced by neighboring borers, and
that through these cavities and the influence of neigh-
boring wells, the supply was diverted in a different direc-
tion, and the old channel completely abandoned. Under
such circumstances, the application of a pump, and con-
tinuous pumping for a length of time, might recall the

156 INTERMITTENT WELLS.

truant oil to its former channel. Ordinarily now the
workmen prefer letting the oil go to waste if the flow
precedes the erection of tanks, until they can provide
means for securing it, rather than run the risk of closing
the well. Latterly, however, the prudent borer has hia
tanks prepared by the time his well is ready to flow.

Usually the flow from these wells is steady and regu-
lar, although pouring out with terrible fury and energy.
It seems, at times, as though the power was suflBcient to
turn a small mill. But withal it is regular and constant,
yielding for weeks almost the same quantity from day to
day, and from hour to hour. Sometimes this yield is
pure oil, scarcely a trace of water being present. This
probably depends somewhat upon the correctness and
security of the tubiug, and somewhat upon the nature of
the rock, as regards the presence of openings and cre-
vices through which water may be enabled to percolate.
This seems to be the result particularly in deeper wells,
and those yielding large quantities of oil. It may de-
pend somewhat upon the size of the cavity in which the
oil is found, and the manner in which the vein that is
struck connects . with this cavity. If the connection is
with that part containing oil, and above the water, the
result would be pure oil. Often, however, the oil is
largely mingled with dense salt water, that must te sepa-
rated in the tank before the oil can be put in packages
for the market.

Sometimes there is a kind of intermitting flowing well.
The oil and gas will flow for a little time, then cease alto-
gether for about the same length of time, and then flow
forth as before, presenting all the phenomena of an inter-
mitting spring. One in particular may be specified for
the regularity and system of its operations. It will

THE SUNDAY WELL. 157

remain quiescent for about fifteen minutes, when there
would be heard the sound as of fearful agitation far
down in its depths. This rumbling and strife would then
appear to approach the surface for a few moments, when
the petroleum would rush from the orifice, mingled
with gas and foam, almost with the fury of a round shot
from a rifled cannon. This furious flow would continue
for fifteen or twenty minutes, when it would suddenly
subside, and all would be peace again. This alternate
rest and motion would continue with great regularity
day and night, yielding, perhaps, one hur.dred and fifty
barrels per day. In other instances there will be inter-
ruptions of days, and even weeks, when the flow will be
continued as before.

In these cases it is possible that there is a peculiar con-
formation of the veins with relation to the cavities con-
taining the oil, by which the supply of oil and gas is
exhausted for a space of time, when the well remains
quiet until the cavity is filkd up again from other
sources.

Let the cavity be supposed to contain the three fluids
as before, but connected with a second cavity by a cre-
vice at c. If the well, a, pierce the vein, d, it will flow
until the cavity is nearly emptied, when it will cease until
the first cavity is refilled from the second. See page 158.

Perhaps the most singular phenomenon connected with
■flowing wells was what was called the " Sunday well,"
from the fact that it flowed constantly during the week
days, but ceased on the Sabbath. It was regarded
- with some little superstition by the workmen engaged at
other wells, but soon ceased to attract much attention,
further than being regarded as a great curiosity by
jpome, and by others as involving a curious and interest-
14

158

PHILOSOPHY OP THE SUNDAY WELL.

iiig philosophical question. No doubt there is a very
general connection existing between the cavities conwdn-
ing oil, by means of veins and small seams running in
every direction, that affect in a greater or less degree
the operations of pumping and flowing. Sometimes this

influence is so slight as to be imperceptible ; at others, it
is felt in difierent ways. In the case of the Sunday well,
the agitation of pumping, and the withdrawal of water
from particular veins, induced such a condition or equi-
librium of oil and gas in the cavity underneath, as to
produce the phenomenon of flowing during the time of
pumping. On Sabbath the pumping ceases, the agita-
tion is no longer moving, and stirring, and disturbing
the labyrinthine veins in the rock, the water accumu-
lates and the flow ceases. On Monday morning the agi-

DECREASE OP FLOWING WELLS. 159

tation commences, the water is withdrawn, and the
flowing commences as before; so that, after all, the
mysterious operation of this well was but the result of
counterbalancing forces operating in the cavities beneath.
Another thought in relation to flowing wells. The
strong probabilities are, that as the number of wells
bored in any given locality increases, the number of flow-
ing wells will decrease, until they cease altogether. If
they are due to the exhaustive force of the gas impri-
soned beneath, and there is no room to doubt this, then
as the number of wells increases the gas will become
gradually exhausted, or will find new avenues of escape,
not only from pumping wells, but in wells that are abso-
lute failures, until the gas force becomes like the bow
that has been too long held in tension, its power will be
lost, and pumping wells must be the final dependence.
This is becoming the case in many places already, and
will, no doubt, be the case finally throughout the oil
region.

CHAPTER XII.

MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION.

As the business began to increase, and its magnitude
to develop, the question of transportation became a
very important one. Although not bulky in proportion
to its value, it has many unpleasant features connected
with it. Being generally carried in wooden barrels, or

160 RIVEE TRANSPORTATION.

"packages," to nse the modem term, its penetrating quali-
ties render these barrels unpleasant and disagreeable in
the handling and porterage. And as this leakage is
accompanied by the escape of gas, the transportation is
attended with considerable danger from fire, involving
loss of freight, and in the case of steamboats of life itself.
Still so far no very serious losses have been incurred,
although special care has been exercised by those en-
gaged in the business. And the annoyance of working
among greasy barrels, even, seems to be very readily
overcome.

Petroleum appears to have been transported at first in
small bottles, for a very small portion answered the
demand. In almost every house a broken pitcher or
teapot was filled with it and was replenished when
necessary. Mr. Gary was a bold man in those days to
cut loose from the old habits of caution and fill two five
gallon kegs for transportation to Pittsburgh. But bold
spirits usually open the way for new enterprises. Could
this early dealer in oil but know of the thousands of
barrels that now find their way to the same market,
sometimes in a single week, it would almost causd his
old bones to rattle in their quiet slumber, near the scene
of his early enterprise.

When the business began to develop, the Allegheny
river was the only way of conveying the product to
market. The distance to Pittsburgh is about one hun- .
dred and forty miles. Much of the oil was refined
there, but still more was shipped to Philadelphia, New
York, and other points. In times of high water steam-
boats run up to Oil City, and at the same time other
species of craft run down. Transportation by the river
is perhaps the cheapest of all modes of reaching the

FLAT-BOATS. 161

market ; but in this fast age is a little slow. The steam-
boats used are of the kind usually termed stern wheels,
that is propelled by a single wheel which is rigged at the
stern of the vessel. The petroleum is stored in the hold
and on the lower deck. Some of these boats carry five
hundred barrels. The cost of transportation varies ac-
cording to the number of boats running and the demand
for carriage; as in the oil region men are not usually
slow in taking advantage of circumstances. The price
ranges from forty cents to one dollar per barrel.

Another mode of transportation is by loading the oil upon
rude flat boats, resembling coal boats, or the old "broad
horns" of the early settlers, and towing them down the
river with a steam-tug. Sometimes these flats are loaded
with bituminous coal, far down the Allegheny and towed
up ; thus realizing a profit both on the upward and re-
turn voyage, as the same flat answers for both purposes.
These tugs are a very slow but powerful species of craft,
small in outline but propelled by powerful engines, that
in their own peculiar way enable them to perform good
service in this kind of business. One of these tugs will
sometimes convey to market three thousand barrels of
oil.

The flat-boats have always been an institution on this
river and were not slow to avail themselves of the new
business that has fallen in their way. They are often
towed by horses up the current, and allowed to float
down with the current. Horses are attached by very
long lines, and sometimes walk on the shore, and at
other times in the stream itself. Whenever the water is
deep, and it is desirable to change the motive power to
the opposite side of the stream, the horses are taken on
board and transported to the other side. Sometimes
14*

1G2 BTTLkB.

these flat-boats are pushed up the stream by the boatmen
themselves ; or, as they term it, " make progress moving
backwards." The boatman with a long pole set in the
bottom of the stream, and with the other end braced
firmly against his shoulder, commences at the bow of
the boat and walks slowly towards the stem, pushing as
he goes. He then walks back and repeats the operation.
Several men being engaged in this work, on each side of
the boat, the unwieldy craft moves slowly and regularly
forward.

There is another species of craft that is pressed into
the service, which is more primitive in its construction*
It is formed of two gunnels hewn or sawed from a log,
with the ends cut so as to turn upwards like sled-runners.
These are connected together by scantling and a bottom
spiked on. "Studding is then set up along the sides or
gunnels, and rough boards spiked to these, and after being
rudely caulked the boat is ready for use. Oil barrels are
rolled in, when the crew set out on the voyage, float-
ing with the current, but under the charge of a com-
petent pilot, who is supposed to be familiar with the
channel to Pittsburgh, as well as every rock; and bend,
and eddy throughout the whole course of the rivei*.
During moonlight nights these craft " run all night ;"
but when it is dark and the weather stormy they gene-
rally " tie up " at some well known eddy, and wait until
morning. These craft do not often find their way back,
being converted to other uses, and sometimes broken up
for the lumber they contain.

But the oil trade has given birth to some new and
original inventions. These have grown out of the neces-
sities of the case. Barrels are sometimes scarce, and
latterly always high in price. The river is often too

LADDER-FLOATS. 163

low for steamboats, and as something must take the place
of these larger craft, some inventive genius suggested,
and carried out the suggestion, of constructing what are
called bulk boats. These are rude affairs, but answer a
good purpose. They are made of two inch plank about
sixteen feet square and from two to three feet in depth ;
divided internally by planks into bulk-heads of perhaps
four feet square, to prevent any undue agitation of the
contents by the motion of the boat. Sometimes these
bulks are entirely decked over, so that the boatman
walks upon the top to manage his boat. These boats
sometimes have the oil pumped into them at the well,
and are run to Pittsburgh without further expense than
the cost of running them to market. When the oil is
pumped from them they are broken up, and the material
used for kindling wood, the process through which it has
gone adapting it eminently for that purpose.

After this, there is a rude nondescript that surely was
never dreamed of outside the oil region. It consists of
a series of rough ladders constructed of tall saplings.
These ladders are moored in the water, and between
each pair of rounds is placed a barrel of oil, floating in
the water, but kept in position by its hamper. A num-
ber of these ladders are lashed together, until the float
contains several hundred barrels of oil. These unprom-
ising fixtures, as well as the unwieldy bulks spoken of
are often, during favorable weather, run to Pittsburgh
with entire safety. To assist in this crazy kind of navi-
ration the services of the old lumber pilots are called
ii.'o requisition. Their training, in the days of lumber-
ing and running pig metal, had rendered them thoroughly
familiar with the river; but this trade had failed, and
many of them were distressed that their occupation was

164 POND FRESHETS.

gone. The advent of this new trade, then, was hailed
with joy, as it afforded the opportunity of revisiting their
old haunts again, and of facing the storm, and naviga-
ting their craft through the dangers once more.

A peculiar institution in connection with water navi-
gation is the '* pond freshets" in Oil creek. It has been
quickened into life by the necessities of the business.
The wells extend along the creek for a distance of fifteen
miles from its mouth. The yield is enormous, and, as
yet, land carriage is difficult and expensive. The valley
is narrow, and the stream tortuous, and in many places
the ground soft and yielding; added to this teams are
obliged to cross and recross the stream continually. The
creek itself is too small for navigation, except at occasional
times during natural freshets. A railroad has been pro-
posed down the valley from Titusville to Oil city, but the
enterprise is of doubtful utility, as there are difficulties in
the way that at present seem insuperable. The narrow-
ness of the valley renders every available foot of land
valuable for boring purposes, so that it would be difficult
to locate a road that would not come in conflict with
some individual's pet boring spot. The danger from fire
would, however, be the chief difficulty in the way, as
columns of gas are rising continually from the wells,
which might at any titne change this rich valley to a river
of fire and death.

To compensate for all these difficulties a system of
artificial navigation has been adopted. Before the ad-
vent of the oil business there was a considerable trade in
lumber down Oil creek and its tributaries, and many ^ iw
mills were in operation that were driven by water-power.
Most of these mills had fallen into disuse. Timber
had become scarce, and there was no longer the same

t4
H

I

t3

e

o

FLEET OF OIL BOATS, 165

demand upon item. But the dams still remained, and
were now pressed into a new service, of which their
original builders never dreamed. Perhaps in all there
are five or six of these dams, constructed with draws in
the centre so that they can easily be opened at the proper
time. By means of these dams, the water is collected
and retained, so that "pond freshets'* are arranged
about two days in the week. The day and the hour are
arranged beforehand for these artificial floods, and the
oil men have every thing in readiness! At the appointed
hour the upper dams are opened, and then as the flood
pours down others below them give way adding to the
volume, until the miniature tide has increased to a
river. At each landing it receives its tribute of boats,
until as the fleet approaches the mouth of the creek it
numbers often times over two hundred boats, bearing
with them from eight to ten thousand barrels of petro-
leum.

The advent of this fleet of oil boats at the mouth of
the river is in the highest degree spirited and exciting.
As boat after boat rushes into the river, there is the
dashing to and fro of the boatmen, rapidly handling
their sweeps, to avoid running ashore on the one hand,
and against the piers of the bridge on the other. Some-
times the danger is from Scylla, and sometimes from
Charybdis, and sometimes it is received from both in
quick succession. Men are shouting their orders on
board the boats, and multitudes, who have collected on
shore as spectators, shout their applause in all directions
until the excitement becomes intense.

Here and there a collision occurs, that often results in
the crushing of the feebler boat and the indiscriminate

r^,6 PERILS OF THE TBIP.

mingling of boatmen, fragments of the broken craft, o3
and the fixtures of tbe boat in one common ruin.

" Apparent rari nanteR in gurgite yasto;

Arma yiriam, tabalaBqae et Troia gaza per undas.*'

A heavy oak barge running into a frail bulk con-
structed of pine planks, will pierce it as though its wallf
were simple paper, or two such barges will often crush
the feeble little flat between them as they would an egg-
shell, when the boatmen are forced to take an unwillinp
bath in the water, and sometimes in the petroleum itself
Often two or three boats are thus wrecked and the con-
tents lost at a single pond freshet, involving, of course,,
a serious loss, yet it is one of the risks of the businesc
that must be placed as an o&et to greater gains in othez
directions.

In this fleet the form and variety of boats beggars all
description. Sometimes there is the orthodox flat-boat
with iron-bound barrels, with a show of respectability
around it, and disposed to put on airs like a well-dressed
swell in the midst of a crowd of ragged loafers. Next
will follow a rude scow, and close upon it an unwieldy
bulk, into which the oil has been pumped at the well,
and, perhaps, bringing up the rear an unmanageable
ladder-float, although these latter have lately been ostra-
cised from the creek from their disposition to inflict
damage and shipwreck upon the more respectable class
of boats.

This extemporized navigation is kept up and regulated
by a kind of code of honor. Written laws and legal
enactments have not yet learned of its existence. By a
mutual understanding each oil producer along the creek
pays a share of the expense in proportion to the amount

ATLANTIC AND GREAT WESTERN RAILROAD. 167

of oil shipped. This is at the rate of about five cents
per barrel. Before a pond freshet is to come ofi* an agent
visits the wells and collects this amount from those who
propose availing themselves of its benefits, and in this
way the labor and care necessary to keep the matter in
order is compensated.

After the oil produced by this pond freshet reaches Oil
city, it is in part shipped down the river to Pittsburgh, in
a manner already described, and in part is sent in other
directions. River navigation is tedious, and for shippers
to New York, Philadelphia, Boston, or the West the
route is a very circuitous one. Better facilities are
therefore looked for. Besides a large portion of the year
the river is not navigable. Sometimes in the winter it
is ice-bound for months, while in summer it frequently
becomes so low as to be fordable, when the smallest craft
must be laid up from use.

Soon after the business began to enlarge and prosper,
a new link in the great railroad system of the country
was completed that at once promised relief. This was
the Atlantic and Great Western Railway, extending
from Salamanca on the the Erie Railway on the East,
and connecting with the Western roads in Ohio, form-
ing a connection with New York on the east and the
Mississippi and beyond on the west. This road passed
within twenty-five miles of Franklin, and the idea was
suggested of building a branch road from Meadville to
the latter place. The project was a feasible one, inas-
much as the route lay immediately down the valley of
French creek, the portion of which was already graded
for the tow-path of the old Franklin canal.

But withal the company approached the enterprise
with great fear and trembling. There was plenty of

168 IMPORTANCE OP FRANKLIN BRANCJH.

petroleum just then ; but wlio would insure its continu-
ance? The wells were yielding satisfactorily, but the
bottom might, and probably would, fall out of them very
suddenly, and then where would be the trade. The fear
was before them that in the course of events the time
might arrive when the road would be left naked and
bare like the old dismantled oil derricks that were to be
seen so plentifully along the banks of French creek, as a
warning and a terror to all railroad companies, too much
given to doubtful enterprises.

The enterprise was thought over, however, and inqui-
ries put afloat as to whether Venango county was
possessed of coal or any thing else that would afford a
living trade when petroleum gave out. But these inqui-
ries were bootless, for Venango then, as now, could onlj
point to her oil wells, and cry out with the Roman matron,
as she exhibited her children, "Behold, these are my
jewels!"

Notwithstanding, the branch was completed, and soon
assumed, not the place of a branch but the main trunk,
both in freight and passengers ; actually shipping aa
high as two thousand barrels per day. This road is on
the broad guage principle, and, although the Franklin
branch is a little slow from peculiar circumstances, yet
the main trunk is admirably arranged and managed,
and withal one of the most comfortable roads to travel
upon in the United States. The Franklin branch was
first built from Meadville to Franklin, but has recently
been extended to Oil City. Before this extension was
made oil was brought in boats from Oil creek to Franklin,
and then shipped on board the cars. When the roads
are favorable, an immense quantity of oil is still drawn
in wagons from the Oil creek valley to Franklin. It is

TEAMS TO FRANKLIN. 1G9

brought from the wells along the creek for six or seven
miles above the mouth, making from twelve to fifteen
miles the whole distance. As many as three hundred
teams are engaged in this business, lining often the
whole distance from Oil City to Franklin. The load for
two horses depends on the condition of the road ; but as
it is down grade, it is usually from five to seven and
even eight barrels. The price of hauling, too, varies
with circumstances, as the distance, condition of the
roads, and the activity of the market. Generally for
the distance of twelve miles, the price paid is about two
and a half dollars per barrel.

A railway car usually contains from fifty to sixty
barrels, and the freight from Franklin to New York by
this route is about three dollars. At Oorry, forty miles
east of Meadville, the Atlantic and Great Western rail-
road crosses the Philadelphia and Erie, where freight
can be transferred for the Philadelphia market ; but as
the guages are different, there must be a trans-shipment
from the cars of the one to those of the other.

Another mode of transportation, is from the upper
portion of Oil creek by way of Titusville. The Oil
Creek railroad extends from Corry, (where the Atlan-
. tic and Grreat Western and Philadelphia and Erie rail-
roads intersect,) through Titusville to the Shaffer farm,
five miles below. By this route a larger amount of oil
has probably found its way to market than by any other.
The shipments in 1864 amounted to 284,415 barrels. It
is in contemplation to extend this road down the valley
to Oil City, with what success this plan can be carried
out, remains to be seen, as the obstacles in the way are
very great. It would add very much to the couyeniencQ
15

170 ISVW EOUTES IN PBOSPEOT.

and vigor of the oil trade if it could be done, and would
be most advantageous to all parties concerned.

There are some other railroad projects on foot that
will no doubt be carried out wifE success. The Frank-
lin and Jamestown link is already in process of comple-
tion, and will, no doubt, soon be opened to trade and
travel. It is to connect Franklin with the Pittsburgh
and Erie Railroad at Jamestown, Mercer county. This
will not only shorten the route to Pittsburgh, but open a
new route to Cleveland — no mean competitor with some
of het Eastern sisters in the oil trade — as well as other
points in the West.

Another project still, is to continue the Allegheny
Valley Railroad, already completed to Kittanning, from
this point to Franklin. The distance to Pittsburgh by
this route will be about one hundred and twenty miles ;
that by the way of Jamestown, about one hundred and
thirty.

Other routes are suggested, but they are too far in the
dim distance to be spoken of confidently or particularly.
As the business enlarges and develops, new routes will
be projected and opened as the exigencies of the time
and occasion may demand.

In regard to the place where a market is sought, cir-
cumstances usually determine the destination. New
York, of course, must always carry oflf the palm, from
her unequalled facilities for exporting. It is the great
centre of trade, too, and it is but reasonable that it
should bring its advantages to bear in this important
trade. Boston, being the first of the Eastern cities that
entered heartily into the business, is still holding its own,
as its enterprise and liberal views entitle it to do. Phi-
ladelphia, being of more sober and deliberate character,

DIRECTION OF SHIPMENTS. 171

was dilatory in its efforts, but is attracting mncli of the
business in its own direction. To Pittsburgh naturally
belongs a large portion of the trade and influence, as
well from its proximity to the oil region as to the conve-
nience of transportation. ^ It is still doing a fair share of
the business legitimately belonging to the petroleum
trade. Cleveland also comes in for a fair proportion of
the shipments of oil.

The location of the companies that are operating influ-
ences to a certain extent the direction of the product.
Sometimes companies operating in the oil region, 'are en-
gaged in refining at home, and in this way are induced
to bring the product of their wells to the location of their
refineries. This is especially the case where the product
is not extensive. A Cleveland, Buffalo, or Pittsburgh
company will naturally ship toward their own centre of
influence, and in this way the interests of many parties
are subserved. The influence of capital and enterprise,
as well as the demand for labor, is disseminated through-
out the country.

Still a large proportion of the product of the oil wells
is uncontrolled by influences of this kind. Where there
is a large quantity of any valuable product it naturally
and unfailingly seeks the best market. And that is the
best market, other things being equal, where the best
price is obtained, the most ready and constant demand,
and the best facilities for reaching it. In these respects
the seaboard cities must, of course, be pre-eminent, as
the foreign market is now, and must still continue to
make demand upon the production.

As to the first change of hands, great diversity pre-
vails. Originally almost all oil was sold at the wells,
and this, too, very soon after its leaving the regions be-

172 CENTBALIZATION.

low. The necessities of early companies and operators
required them to dispose of their oil as soon as possible,
but as the business has gradually assumed a new form,
and larger capital is investing in it, this necessity no
longer exists. Many companies ship their own oil to the
sea-board, and even to foreign ports. There is still, how-
ever, much changing of hands in the movement of oiL
There are parties who purchase at the wells and sell at
Oil City or Franklin, and ship on their own account.
There are oil brokers, likewise, at these points that buy
to sell .again, with no intention of shipping; so that the
business is diversified in its character. The whole ten.-
dency, however, is towards centralization. Capital will
have its influence, especially where that capital is accomr
panied by enterprise and energy, as is the case pre-emi-
nently in this business. It is, perhaps, a foregone con-
clusion, that as time rolls by, the influence, as far as
money is concerned, of this trade will be transferred to
the cities, and less felt in the immediate region where
the wealth is developed. The labor is small at best, and
as facilities are multiplied for developing and carrying to
market, less labor will be required, and less expenditure
involved in transferring the product to the great markets
in the East.

70BMEB OPEBATIONS. 178

CHAPTER XIII.

FBANELIN, FBENOH CBEEE, AND SUGAB GBEEK.

It was not long after the fortunate strike of Colonel
Drake on Oil creek, before the matter of boring was sug*
gested in the town of Franklin. When the news of the
first success was spread abroad, the feehng expressed was
that of willingness to be a partner or even a relative of
the successful oil miner. But soon the idea was ad«
vanced that other efforts might be equally successful*
Men began to cast about and inquire for oil springs and
places where the oil exuded, even in small quantities,
from the rock. In Franklin these indications were nu*
merous and unmistakable. Some were in the wells of
water, some in the bed of the creek, and some near its
banks, giving tokens that were most encouraging and
inspiring.

Companies were organized in an informal way, large
and cumbrous, but the plan was to develop the resources
of the place. In the meantime many a sweet golden
dream was privately indulged in, that would prove a
glowing reality after a while, when the matter should be
developed. Had not the first oil well yielded forty bar-
rels daily? Was not each barrel worth forty dollars?
And why should not the same success attend operations
in Franklin, with a much better ** surface show" than
where this first great success had been achieved? And
16*

174 NUMBEB OF WELLS.

would not the dividend, even in a company of ntty, oe a
handsome sum from such a well ?

Operations were commenced, sometimes by large com-
panies, sometimes by small ones. Sometimes these com-
panies were formed by citizens of Franklin, and often by
strangers, until it seemed that the town was effectually
aroused from the long sleep that had been almost like
that of Kip Van Winkle in Sleepy Hollow. In the
course of the summer succeeding the first successful ex-
periment on Oil creek, there were not less than two hun-
dred wells in different stages of progress in the town of
Franklin alone. Wells were being bored in gardens,. iu
door-yards, and even in some cases in the bottoms of
wells from which water had been procured for household
purposes. So numerous were the tall derricks, that a
profane river-man made the remark that the people of
Franklin must be remarkably pious, as almost every
third man seemed to be building a "meeting-house**
with a tall steeple near his dwelling. At one time there
were in Franklin fifteen productive wells, yielding a
daily aggregate of one hundred and twenty barrels.

The first well that was found productive in Franklia
has become historical. It has been placed in the annals
of petroleum history, and will go down to succeeding
generations side by side with other "first things'* that
have become immortal. This well was known as " the
celebrated Evans well," and was the third successful
well that was bored — Drake's being first, and McOHn-
tock's second, both on Oil creek.

It was, in some respects, the most remarkable well
in all the region. It was sunk by its proprietor in the
bottom of the well that had long been used for house-
hold purposes. He was induced to choose this spot from

EVANS'S WELL. 175

the fact that a iarace of oil was generally found on its
surface, particularly in summer, when the water was
low. Another thing that induced him to think that oil
would be found on his premises, was the fact that on the
bank of French creek, that was skirted by his lot, a
small oil vein was constantly yielding a limited supply,
which had been sufficient for the wants of his family and
of the neighbors. Times have changed since then. The
wants of the people are greater now than formerly. It
requires a flowing well to satisfy them.

An humble house and lot constituted the entire
worldly wealth of this worthy man. The work in the
well, too, was performed entirely by his own family.
Being a blacksmith, he constructed his own boring im-?
plements, as well as kept them in order, and was de-?
pendent on no outside assistance. Patiently and assidu-
ously did the blacksmith and his sons toil on, as they
had seldom toiled before, the former guiding the drill,
and the latter applying the power by hand, in the use
of a very simple spring-pole arrangement. All wished
for their success, but many doubted it. The old salt-
borers who were operating elsewhere looked wise and
shook their heads. His simple apparatus and want of
experience would certainly bring disaster and disappoint-
ment; — so they argued. It was "red tape" against
honest yet unsystematic efibrt. ^

Thus they went on until, at the d^pth of only seventy-
two feet in the rock, they struck a crevice that promised
to pour them out rivers of oil. In attempting to enlarge
this the drill broke, the fragment remaining in the
cavity, and, for the time, resisting every efibrt used for
its removal. The well was then tubed, and a hand-
pump inserted, when it was found to yield at the rat©

176 GENEBAL DEPTH.

of ten or fifteen barrels per day. The labor of pumping
was great, however, and the work was not kept up con-
tinuously. The excitement attending this development
was very great. Crowds visited the well daily, and an
almost constant levee was held around the pump and
t^nk that received the oily treasure. Speculation soon,
began to run wild, and the fortunate owner of this well,
among other propositions, received an offer of fifty thou-
sand dollars for his well. Here was treasure, such as he
had never dreamed of, placed within his grasp. But it*
was of no avail. To all these tempting offers he per-
sistently made the same reply — that he had bored that
well for his own use, and that if others wished a well,
they could do as he had done ; the sites were numerous,
they could boi;^ wells for themselves.

Oil was generally found around Franklin at the depth
of about three hundred feet from the surface for pump-
ing wells ; in the valley of Oil creek the same stratum
was reached at about half that depth, intimating that
the rock had a dip or inclination to the southwest. la
all these attempts, whether successful as oil wells or not,
a strong body of salt water was obtained, that added
greatly to the facility of separating the oil, by its in-
creased gravity. Hitherto the business had been pui>
sued with encouragement and profit, to those who were
engaged. The demand was steady, prices remunerative,
and visions of untold wealth were looming up before
the minds of operators, when the shock came that shut
up at once all small wells, and suspended all further
. operations. This was the opening of the flowing wells
on Oil creek that brought down the price of oil, so that
it was not worth the coal necessary to pump it from the
rock.

A PANIC IN OIL. 177

Here was another panic. Previously there had been
a general st-ampede towards the oil regions, and Franklin
had been the Mecca from many directions; now the
stampede was the other way. Wells were abandoned
that had been prosecuted with encouragement, and leases
forfeited without an eflfort to retain them against better
times. Lots that had been purchased at high prices
were sacrificed. Instances can be pointed out where the
disappointment and disgust were so great at this new
feature, as to lead not only to the abandonment of the
lease and derrick, but to the boring implements them*
selves. In one or two instances they remain in the dis-
mantled derrick ^ntil this day.

But worse than this. In many instances companies
owning wells that were yielding from three to six barrels^
removed their machinery, aband6ned their leases, ancj
leffc the country. They thought the days of small wells
were numbered, and that they could never be success-
fully worked again. During the last year some of these
abandoned wells have been yielding from seventy-five
to one hundred and fifty dollars per day. By this un-
toward course of events, vast sums of money, gathered
all over the country, were sacrificed, much of which
might have been saved with care and foresight. But
the history of the oil business thus far has been but a
succession of different kinds of excitements. Men are
not content to make money slowly and by patient wait-
ing in the oil business, as in other walks of life. Wealth
must come at once, or they are discouraged and dis-
heartened, and abandon the field.

The region around Franklin and the flats of French
creek has never been fully tested. It was just in the
full tide of boring, and before any one had reached the

178 CHABAOTEB OF OIL.

third sand rock, that the discouragement, growing out
of the opening of flowing wells came upon the business
here, and all effort ceased at once. In Franklin these
efforts have not been resumed ; with the exception that
several wells are now successfully pumped. In addition
to this, there was another ground of discouragement. The
theory got afloat on the public mind, that no oil would be
found in the sand rock or below it ; and very few had the
courage to go below three hundred feet. If no oil was
discovered at that depth the general disposition was to
abandon the search, and try some new location. At this
depth many wells yielded a few barrels a day for a time,
and then run down to one, or ceased altogether. This
induced many a hopeful operator to settle down on the
opinion that Franklin was rather on the outskirts of the
oil region, than in its rentrnl ba.sin.

There is another feature of the operations here that
induces to the belief that this region has not been fairly-
tested, and that is the character of the oil produced. It
is uniformly a heavy oil, from 30° to 33°; whilst that
from the flowing wells on Oil creek is from 40° to 60**;
implying that Franklin and French creek oil is of a sur-
face character, and has found its way up through seiams
and fissures from the deeper oil strata beneath. The fact
has already been noticed that the general inclination or
dip of the rock strata is toward the southwest. This
would lead to the supposition that when the third or
fourth sand rock is pierced here, flowing wells may be
discovered that will amply reward the persevering ex-
perimenter.

The character of the oil in Franklin and on Frencli
creek adapts it rather for lubricating than refining pur-
poses. It was, at first, rather undervalued, as not yield-

FRENCH CREEK. 179

ing a large per centage of illuminating fluid ; but soon
began to rise in the market as a valuable lubricator,
being used for many kinds of machinery without any
preparation whatever. . It now commands a ready market
at prices more than double that of the deep wells of Oil
creek. To the operator this is a great advantage. The
saving in handling, in barrels, in freight, and other
things add very materially to the margin of profit on
even small wells producing heavy oil.

French creek is one of the important tributaries of the
Allegheny, emptying into it at Franklin. Its general fea-
tures would indicate a geological structure of the country
favorable to the development of petroleum. The valley
on the eastern side has considerable width, and the
banks, in places, present a rough and fractured condi-
tion of the rocks. It has moreover, from time imme-
morial, been noted for its " surface indications."

Like Franklin it has had its discouraging experiences.
The tide of imperfect experiment swept down the valley
in 1860, leaving behind it little except blackened der-
ricks, the remains of shanties, and the shattered masonry
that told where engines had been set. Still a number
of successful wells were opened during the first year of
active operations, which have been producing regularly
and faithfully to the present time. There are now
(March, 1865,) on the banks of French creek some six
or seven producing wells yielding oil of some 31** in
gravity.

During the past summer almost all the lands on French
creek, for a distance of twelve miles above Franklin,
have been purchased and placed in joint stock com-
panies, and every means that capital and enterprise can
bring to bear will be expended in their development during

180 patchel's run — sugar creek.

the next season. A deep well, sunk in the neghborhood
of the old forge, produced a very thin, light colored oil,
indicating that, under favorable circumstances in devel-
oping, this region may yield largely of the lighter oils
when the proper depth is attained.

Patchel's run is a small stream that puts into French
creek, about one and a half miles above Franklin, and
runs in the general direction of Oil and Sugar creeks.
At its mouth are some of the most productive wells on
French creek. From the broken and precipitous char-
acter of its bed there is ground to believe that at some
future day it will prove to be one of the desirable regions
for mining. Its lands have already been brought into
the market.

Eight miles from Franklin, on the western side of
French creek, is an important tributcuy called Mill
creek. It is a rapid, brawling stream rushing down
amid the hills, with here and there indications that
amidst its broken rocks the treasure is but biding its
time, and will ere long manifest its presence. The lands
along this stream have been nearly all purchased for oil
purposes, and will ere long be developed. At the mouth
of this stream Utica is situated, a thriving village, hope-
ful and full of enterprise. Two and a half miles further
up, is another stream called Deer creek, coming in from
Mercer county, and is now attracting the attention of oil
men.

Sugar creek is an important branch of French creek,
joining it about two miles from Franklin. It runs in a
northerly direction through some of the finest portions
of Venango county. The Sugar Creek valley has always
been celebrated for its fine farms, and thrifty farmers.
In this respect it aflfords a striking contrast to the terri-

FIEST WELL ON SUGAR CREEK. 181

tory along the Allegheny and some portions of Oil
creek. In the latter places the doctrine of compensation
seems wonderfully illustrated; in the former, if it should
ultimately prove to be good oil territory, the evidence
of the goodness of Providence would seem to be cumu-
lative.

It is but recently that much attention has been paid
to this region as an oil producing section ; still as long
as three years ago a well was put down by Joseph Mc-
Calmont, on his own premises, about two miles and a
half above the mouth of the creek. This well was bored
by water-power, taken from a small spring run, and with
very imperfect machinery. It was bored only about
three hundred and twelve feet deep, reaching the second
sand rock. During the three years some three or four
hundred barrels of oil have been drawn from this well.
It is of a dark, heavy character, and at the present time
much sought for, in the market, as a lubricating oiL
The well has only been worked at intervals. Sometimes
the water was not sufficient, as in times of drouth, and
sometimes, as after the flowing well panic, the price of
oil would not justify the proprietor in pumping even by
water-power. Tho probabilities are, that if an engine
was employed, and the operation of pumping kept up
steadily and perseveringly, a larger yield of oil would
be the result. As it is, a yield of four to six barrels
daily would be a more productive source of income than
the best farm on Sugar creek.

From this well up to Cooperstown, some two miles,
preparations are making to test the rocks eflfectually.
Many wells are going down with encouraging jbokens of
success. In the neighborhood of Cooperstown a well
has been going down with constant evidence of the
16

182 GREAT PROMISE.

presence of oil until it has attained the depth of six
hundred feet. What the ultimate result may be cannot
be told; but the constant, universal presence of oil in
this valley, whenever the sand rock has been pierced,
and even the stratum above, must be evidence of its
existence in large quantities below.

Recently a new well has been opened on Homan's
flats, about three miles from Franklin, that has brought
Sugar creek into the very vortex of the excitement.
This well is about three hundred and fifty feet in depth,
and was not at all promising at the first tubing. There
was oil, but not the rushing flow of the Oil Creek valley.
It was tubed and the pump put in operation, but for
some two weeks operations were very discouraging. The
yield was a steady stream of water ; but, at the end of
two weeks froth and foam began to appear, and then oil,
until, by steady improvement, it yielded from fifty to
sixty barrels per day. The vein pierced waa, no doubt,
connected with a distant oil cavity, and it required long
and persistent pumping in order to exhaust the water.

This new feature is most encouraging to operators who
are commencing at a distance from large wells, and has
been the means of calling attention to territory previ-
ously under valued.

riEST IN THE FIELD. 183

CHAPTER XIV.

OIL CREEK.

As yet Oil creek is the most important region in all
the Oil valley, or in all the wide world. Nor is it an
unreasonable supposition that it will so continue. If we
take into consideration the antiquity of the develop-
ments along this creek, the magnitude and splendor of
its resources as brought to light during the past few
years, and the unabated richness of the product in the
present, we are safe in the conclusion that here nature
has lavishly provided for the wants of the present and
coining generations.

This region was first in the field as oil territory. Here
the great oil springs were worked with profit, and the
first well bored in the rock. To this region the first at-
tention was directed from abroad, as the value and im-
portance of the product began to dawn upon the country.
It was but natural that attention should be attracted
first to the new well, as though its neighborhood was the
only place where oil might be expected. It was natural,
also, that the next thought should be, that in the vicinity
of the lower oil springs on the McClir.tock farm, success
equally good might be obtained, and then in general
that wherever oil springs were found at the surface, oil
might be expected in the rock below. It was not strange,

181 SABLT PBESnOS.

then, that the principal attention was directed to Oil
creek both at home and abroad.

The success of the first efforts on Oil creek, too, encour-
aged all comers to seek locations beside new wells that
were yielding oil. The first two wells that were bored
were successful. Drake's well, yielding from ten to forty
barrels per day, and McClintock's, lower down on the
creek, yielding still more, induced the expectation tliat
wherever the rock was pierced to a depth of seventy feet
there would be a successful well. This early prestige
gave this region a popularity and an importance that it
has never lost. It was recognized as the child of fortune,
petted and spoiled somewhat, but still in boundless favor*

But another reason for the early favor that was shown-
to this region, was from the name the early fathers had
given this stream. It was a proper name, a significant
name, and one to which it was richly entitled, and yet it
had a persuasive power that was boundless in influencing
early operators in selecting a site for their operationa.
True, authority, to which we all yield in the general^ ia
somewhat against this idea : —

*' What's in a name ? that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet."

Yet it is somewhat doubtful whether, if any other name
had been applied to Oil creek, it would have appeared
so unctuous and so promising for the pursuit of the petro*
leum business. The natural reflection of most persons
would have been, that they were seeking for oil, and what
place or valley so favorable for this pursuit as the valley
of Oil creek. And so the multitudes sought this valley,
assured that it was the best possible location for boring
wells.

HATUEAL FEATUEES. 185

And there was reason for selecting this above all other
places for the business in hand. Here oil had always
manifested itself ; here were many successful wells ; here
was Oil creek, above all other names the one to encour-
age and cheer, during the long days and weeks when the
drill was forcing its way downwards.

And this region has never disappointed the expecta-
tions that were formed concerning it. It has uniformly
proved true to its ancient fame and time-honored name.
If there have been failures, there have been unbounded
successes. If many a man has left this region poorer
than when he came, his experience has been the excep-
tion and not the rule. Colossal fortunes have been made
here in a short time, but yet fortune is not designed for
all men, and many fail of realizing their expectations
even here.

The natural features of the valley of Oil creek have
great variety. Near the mouth, the valley has expanded
so as to form quite a little extent of flat land, and, in for-
mer times, a single row of farms extended up the valley
that were quite productive. From here up, the land is
more broken, and in places the hills on either side ap-
proach each other, leaving but a small extent of flat land,
and again the hills recede, forming a wide valley, with
the creek sometimes on one side and sometimes on the
other, until Titusville is reached, fifteen or sixteen milea
above the mouth of the creek.

The stream is very tortuous, winding in every direo
tion, and rendering it necessary that a passage up or
down the valley should be one continued series of cross-
ing and recrossing its muddy, oily current. The hills on
either side, though generally steep or rather precipitous,
are usually covered with soil that sustains a growth of
16*

186 PRODTTCTIVEirBBa.

bushes and trees. It is very seldom that the rock crops
out from the face of the bluffs. These hills are frequent-
ly cut on either side by ravines, through which streams
of water find their way to the creek. Some of these
streams, although disregarded at first, have proved quite
as valuable for oil purposes as the most notable portions
on the creek, and this, too, far up above the level of the
valleys.

The general productiveness of the Oil Creek valley
varies considerably. It is not scattered over its whole
extent that we find those enormous wells that seemed at
one time as though they would deluge the whole land,
but generally congregated together in particular locali-
ties. There is one region, of about four or six miles in
extent, that resembles the milky- way where the stars seem
massed and wedged together; yet, withal, unlike the
milky-way in another respect, for they are stars of the
first magnitude. This is in the region of the McElhaney,
Foster, and Hyde & Egbert farms, where we find con-
gregated the Funk, Sherman, Empire, Maple Shade,
Noble, Jersey, Coquette, and other wells, a grand and
noble constellation, that have yielded their products most
lavishly.

Still this is no indication that other portions of the-
land along the creek may not prove equally valuable*
Portions of land that were once denominated the " Dry-
diggings," as the Story farm, have proved as valuable as-
any other portion, whilst other portions, once the favorite
resort, have, for a time, lost their popularity, to regain it
by new and more successful developments.

The flowing wells, that have made the business so fa*
mous, were first opened in the valley, and are still a
most important feature connected with it. Although the

CHANGE FEOM FLOWINd TO PTJlCPINa. 187

earlier ones have ceased to flow, yet new ones are taking
their places from time to time, so that the supply is kept
up with considerable regularity. In the meantime, many
of the wells that flowed until the yield was absolutely
enormous, assumed the form of pumping wells, and are
now worked successfully in this way. Other wells are
opened that have not the natural characteristics that
cause them to flow, and yet yield plentifully by the use
of the pumps. Sometimes these wells interfere with one
another, though this is not a frequent result. It is a bare
possibility for two parties to strike the same vein, and in
this case the one nearest the grand cavity will have the
advantage. But this does not often happen, even where
the derricks are planted as thickly almost as the trees in
the forest, because these veins, as a general thing, seem
to run vertically rather than horizontally. No doubt
they run in every direction, yet their general course is
vertical, leading from the great reservoir below towards
the surface, ramifying as they proceed, and, of course,
becoming smaller until they reach the upper stratum of
rock, and some of them even the surface. If we take this
view of the nature of the structure below, we may well
suppose that the cases of interference will be few in com-
parison with the whole number of wells. And the history
of oil operations, where numerous wells have been put
down in near proximity to each other, bears out this view
of the case.

The whole number of wells producing oil is not easily
estimated, as many are productive, or may be rendered
so by proper care, but are remaimug quiet from various
causes. Sometimes there is a conflict in title, or ma-
chinery is defective, or parties are called away from vari-
ous causes. But the number is steadily increasing, and

183 BLOOD FABM — STOBT FABX.

the supply of oil kept up. This supply has been rather
constant for the last three years. If the business haa
grown dull through low prices and the scarcity of fuel, it
has been counterbalanced by the advent of new flowing
wells ; and when some or many of them have ceased flow-
ing, a number of new pumping wells have supplied their
places, so that the supply has nearly kept pace with the
demand.

As to the depth to the rock and the dip of the strata
in Oil creek there is quite a variety. The greatest depth
of soil overlying the rock is on the flat or low ground,
while the rock is but slightly covered, and even exposed,
on the hillside, at the foot of the blufis, and at the base
of the hill opposite to a flat. This arrangement is almost
invariable. On the '* Blood farm," which is, perhaps, six
miles above the mouth of the creek, the rocks are ex-
posed to view at the base of the hill, which is also the
water's edge, while on the opposite side of the creek,
where there is a broad flat, the operators are obliged to
dive pipe thirty-five feet before reaching the rock, show-
ing evidently the indications of an upheaval of the rock
at the base of and underneath the hills.

And here, as elsewhere, the base of the hill generally
produces the most successful wells, although this is not
an invariable rule. Higher up the creek on the Story
farm, the broad flat has, as yet, produced very little oil,
while at the foot of the bluff there are many fine wells.
On this farm the flat is called the " dry territory," and
the foot of the hill the productive territory. There ip a
geological theory made good in this experience. The
upheaval, of winch we read on the very first page of the
rocky volume, as it is turned up under the base of the
hill, has broken, and shattered the rocks at the base,

GIOLOGICAL FEATURES. 189

leaving the strata inclined at all angles, and, of course^
full of cavities and even huge caverns, into which the
oil, as a matter of course, collects from the smaller aper*
tures, leaving the unbroken strata in the neighborhood
with little or no resources upon which the operator may
draw. The result is that wells that are sunk at the base
of the cliff, are located immediately over this shattered^
cavernous condition of the rock, and reaching some of the
crevices or leaders that connect with the crevices below,
yield luxuriantly ; whilst those sunk in the flat that haa
not been disturbed so much reach only insignificant
veins, that abound only in water, and the pump not
having sufficient influence to draw the oil from its distant
bed, the well is a failure.

Oif the Blood farm the nature and location of the
strata win convey a good idea of the general geological
features of the rock in the valley. Out on the flat there
is thirty-five feet of superincumbent earth before reaching
the rock. The first rock is quite hard and even siliceoua
for the distance of fifteen feet, where it changes to the
ordinary shale. At the depth of two hundred feet the
first sand rock is reached. This is from twelve to fifteen
feet in thickness. The second shale is about one hun-
dred feet in thickness. The second sand rock from
fifteen to twenty feet thick. Third shale one hundred
and fifty feet, and third sand rock about twenty feet.
This is a register for a well bored through the third
sand rock, and is something over five hundred feet in
depth. It will be perceived that the upper stratum of
shale is much the thickest. The first sand rock is not so
nniform in thickness as is the second and third, nor is it
quite so thick.

On this part of the creek a well is not considered fin«

190 DEEPEST WELL — COMPABATIYS SUOOESS.

isHed until it Has passed through the third sand rock, as
the largest and best wells have been found in this
stratum. Nor have many persons, thus far, gone below
this, save to prej; are a receptacle for the deposit of
sand and sediment in the working of the welL Still a
few have bored to the depth of from seven to nine
hundred feet, with various results.

The deepest well yet bored in the oil regions is on
Watson's flats, two miles below Titusville. This well
has been bored to a depth of twelve hundred feet, and
has not yet reached the third sand rock ; showing that
there is a dip in the rock towards the north, indicating
that there is on the creek an anti-clinal axis, that accounts
for successes on the central portions of its territory, and
failures above.

As to the comparative success attending the boring of
wells in the Oil Creek valley, the history so far would
indicate that about one well in ten is a success. What
is termed a successful well is one that can be worked
with profit to its owners. No doubt, as stated in another
place, many a well that is abandoned as worthless, might
be made to yield by proper treatment in tubing and
pumping, and many others might be rendered profitable
by deeper boring ; but to take results as we find them,
the proportion stated above will perhaps be found nearly
correct. This leaves a large margin for the cultivation
of faith and the exercise of hope, whilst engaged in the
operations of boring and tubing. Yet there is this en-
couraging feature connected with the business generally,
that there is no greater proportion of failures now, that
the valley is pierced like a colander, than there were at
the beginning of oil operations. No doubt the great
number of wells that are drilled through the rock will

ELEVATED BORINa SITES. 191

have a tendency to lessen the number of flowing wells
by gradually withdrawing the gas, but it yet remains to
be seen whether it will relatively lessen the amount of
oil* yielded by the process of pumping.

During the first year of the oil business, the choice
locations were supposed to be near the water's edge, but
generally, as lots were leased and lands occupied, new
comers were forced back to the base of the hill. Experi-
mental boring has proved equally as satisfactory there
as at the edge of the creek, and even more so. As
land became scarce, derricks were seen planted on
the steep edges of the bluff, quite a distance above the
level of the creek, and still the rock was found prolific,
the only inconveniences being the difficulty of bringing
fuel to the engine, and finding a location for oil tanks
and barrels.

In the meantime little tributaries that flowed into Oil
creek on either side, which had been neglected before,
began to assume importance. Some of them were
little dancing brooks that almost leaped down the cliff
side, but the theory began to be entertained that pro-
bably the strata of rock would rise with the acclivity of
the bed of the stream, and oil be reached there as
in the valley below. Practical results have shown that
this theory is correct.

Cherry run is a most important branch of Oil creek as
regards the operations connected with it, although it is
small and insignificant as a stream. It enters the creek
on its eastern side near the town of Bouseville, and bids
fair to become as famous in history as many another
trifling little stream that has been associated with • heroic
deeds or important achievements. It is a small, impetu-
ous brook that, near its mouth, leaves scarcely room at its

192 OHEBBT BUN.

Bide sufficient for a wagon road. Following its banks for
the distance of five miles we find the little town of
Flumerville, on the road leading from Franklin to
Warren. Here very extensive operations are carried on
connected with refining and preparing oil for market.

The valley of Cherry run widens and enlarges from
Plumerville up, and is now a scene of bustle and excite-
ment, as every portion of it from its mouth to a distance
of ten or twelve miles is thickly bristled with derricks,
and busy with the movements of the workmen. Nor is
this mere speculation, or the result of excitement di-
rected in this particular way. The successes that have
attended experimenl^ in this little valley are much
greater so far, than those connected with the parent
valley. For a time not a single failure occurred in
boring on Cherry run, whether near to the current or
up on the steep sides of the bluff that come near meet-
ing on either side. Whether this uniform success was
owing to the fact that the wells happened to strike the
oil crevices in every case, or whether these crevices,
with corresponding caverns, are more thickly located in
this region cannot be told. Success in a given locality is
the rule that governs its popularity, and the success of
Cherry run territory thus foj: has established its reputa-
tion among oil men.

It is in this valley, some two miles from its mouth,
that the famous Beed well is located, flowing some two
hundred and fifty barrels per day. The proprietor of
this well has had much experience in boring wells, and
had learned " to labor and to wait." He had bored on
French creek and on Allegheny river, but without
success. His efforts seemed all to fail, and his hopes to
meet with disappointment. Finally he resolved to try

CHERRY TREE RUN. 19S

Cherry run, and found fortune propitious. A prime
vein was pierced, a flowing well was the result, and he
can now repose on his laurels. Other flowing wells are
in the same neighborhood, and pumping wells that yield
bountifully are strewn thickly around.

A grand and magnificent view may be obtained by
ascending to the top of the blufi* in the neighborhood of
the mouth of Cherry run. Not less than one hundred
and fifty engines may be seen at a glance, all in active
operation, with their columns of steam and smoke, run-
ning in every direction. The profusion of derricks is
absolutely bewildering, resembling, more than anything
else, a new town in process of building, with the simple
frames of houses awaiting the roofing and weather-
boarding. In connection with this the creek is seen
filled with boats, and if a view of the river is obtained, it
is seen swarming with flatboats and steamers. It is a
busy scene, full of active life, and full of wondrous
promise.

Bouseville is an active little village. Much business
is transacted here in the way of selling and leasing
lands. It was near this place that the celebrated "Burn-
ing well" was located, in whose fearful conflagration H.
R. Rouse lost his life. The place takes its name from
Mr. Rouse.

The next stream that enters Oil creek is Cherry Tree
run, coming from the northeast, and joining the creek at
the lower end of the Rynd farm. This run is divided
into several branches ; the first is Weikel run, and the
next in importance Noell's run. Although no important
developments have yet been made in these valleys
there is nothing improbable in the idea that they will
17

194 TITUSVILLB.

prove as productive and valuable as the other tributaries
of Oil creek.

There are some other runs of minor importance, such
as Corn Planter's run, Bennehoofs run. Fox run : these
will ere long be heard from in the way of producing oil,
that will bring them into notoriety, as the demand for
territory is unceasing, and operations extending wherever
there is the least prospect of securing oil.

Above Titusville, which is in Crawford county, nu-
merous derricks indicate the intention of exploring
thoroughly the whole region of the creek. There seems
to be no reason why such explorations should not suc-
ceed, unless the geological structure of the rocks should
be different from that of the region below. This would
seem to be the case from the fact mentioned as to the
trend of the rocks two miles below Titusville. Still as
the face of the rock is frequently undulating, valuable
territory may be opened up at no great distance above.

Titusville, like many other places in the oil valleys,
has become decidedly famous for the last few years. It
is situated in Crawford county, but as its influence and
importance grew out of the oil wells, it is properly men-
tioned in connection with the history of Venango
county. It is an old town; but, like Franklin, has
taken a new lease of life, and is becoming rejuvenated
once more. It is on Oil creek, and at a point very
favorable to trade and business, being connected with
the Atlantic and Great Western and the Erie and Phila-
delphia railroads by the Oil Creek railroad. The situa-
tion is good, and the streets laid out regularly. It has
much beauty connected with its location and surround-
ings, and bids fair to become a place of great import-
ance. From this point the railroad extends down

BANKING! — OIL CITY. 195

Oil creek to the Shaffer farm, and it is in contemplation
to extend it to Oil City. In this way a much larger
amount of trade will be secured, inasmuch as the pre-
sent way of conveying oil to Titusville is both difficult
and expensive.

Titusville, from a small village, has now assumed the
proportions of a large town, increasing within a few
years from a few hundred to a population of six or
seven thousand. It has four churches, some of them
of very fine architectural beauty and proportion, with
an amount of taste that does great credit to the place.
It has also two banks of issue and deposit, with a large
number of hotels.

The banking interest in the oil region is one of im-
mense importance. Besides those mentioned above. Oil
City has two banks of issue and a third of deposit, whilst
Franklin has the same number, making in all six banks
of issue and two or three of deposit or exchange. All
these have grown naturally and legitimately out of the
oil business of Venango county, and are safe and highly
prosperous institutions. This business has been' largely
indebted to the enterprise and foresight of Hon. 0. V,
Culver, who has been connected with it from the be-
ginning of the prosperity of the oil region.

Oil City is an active, energetic place, full of hope and
promise for the future. The site is not pleasant nor fa-
vorable to expansion, yet to lovers of the beautiful it is
very picturesque. The principal part of the city lies
along the base of a steep, precipitous hill, that would, in
many places, be dignified with the name of mountain ;
on the other hand is the Allegheny river. There is at
the lower end of the place room but for a single street ;
at the upper end, and across Oil creek, the valley widens

196 LATONIA..

out somewliat, particularly up Oil creek. The lower
portions are mainly occupied for business purposes, and
the level land does not suffice for this, but business is
pushing its way into the hillside. On the northern side
of the creek there is a beautiful section of the city, called
Cottage Hill. This section is located on the steep hill-
side, out of the way of fire and the terrible atmosphere
that arises from the oil boats and wells, but particularly
from the refineries that are in the neighborhood. From
this point there is a fine view of the river, the town and
creek, that extends to a considerable distance in every
direction.

Oil City has already several churches organized, with
church edifices, either erected or in progress of erection,
and everything betokens prosperity, enlargement and
wealth. There are two banks of issue and one of de-
posit, whose business would utterly confound the officers
of many of the old city banks. The lower portion of the
city is literally covered with oil derricks, encroaching
even on building lots and dwelling houses. Some of
them are in operation and yielding oil, others are just
commencing operations. These wells, however profitable
to the owners, will render the town rather liable to accir
dents from fire.

Across the river, and just opposite the mouth of Oil
creek, is situated the new city of Venango. This, too,
bids fair to become a young giant in the race for pros-
perity and growth. One year ago it was a farm, with a
single dwelling house. Now buildings are multiplying
rapidly. There lacks but one thing to insure the pros-
perity of Venango, and that is a bridge across the river.
With this, the greater portion of the new population
would select that place as their residence, whilst trans-

r

?

T

iii

t!

GEOWING POPULATION — VALUE OP LANDS. 197

acting business at Oil City. The founder of this new
town was William L. Lay.

The population of Oil City was at first floating and
transient; latterly it is becoming more fixed and per-
manent. It has, probably, at the present time, from six to
eight thousand. The other towns on Oil creek, as Tarr
Farm, Petroleum Centre, and McClintockville, are all
flourishing. In fact, it is almost impossible to tell where
one ends and the other commences, so thickly strewn
is this entire valley with a dense, active population.

The lands along the creek, between the same points, are
estimated at a bona fide cash value of two hundred and
fifty millions of dollars. Many portions of these lands
have been sold at prices that would bring the whole sJs
the same rate to this sum in the aggregate. The distance
is but little over fifteen miles, and the valley narrow
throughout its entire extent, so that an idea can be readily
formed of the immense wealth contained in its bosom.

As yet the most extensive oil companies are found in
operation in the Oil Creek valley, and much of the pros-
perity of the business is due to the efficiency and enter-
prise with which they have been managed. Among these
are enumerated the ** United Petroleupi Farms Associa-
tion," on the Grafi'-Hasson farm, near Oil City; the
" Blood Farm Petroleum Company," on the Blood farm ;
the " Home Petroleum Company," also on the Blood farm,
on the east side of Oil creek ; the " Tarr Farm Petrole-
um Company," and the " Central Petroleum Company,
of New York," on the Washington McClintock farm, with
many others that are carried on with great efficiency and
success.

As the names of Eveleth, and Bissell, and Drake are
mentioned in connection with the history of the earlier
17*

198 INDIAN TBADITION.

developments of the oil business, so there are other names
that belong to the history of the later development and
successful prosecution of the trade, that must ever be as-
sociated with enterprise, and judgment, and perseverance.
Among these are Brewer & Watson, formerly of Titus-
ville, the brothers Egbert, Halderman, Shrieve, Brough
& Tilson, Mitchell & Brown, Prentice, Clark & Seely,
Coleman & Ewing, with many others, whose influence
has contributed largely towards making the business
what it is — the wonder, and pride, and glory of the whole
land. The history of Oil creek would not be complete
without these names.

There is a beautiful Indian tradition in connection with
the early history of Oil creek that has a bearing upon the
subject in -hand. Cornplanter had lands here, and the
valley was a place of frequent resort by the Indians, oa
account of its healing oil.

The tradition is, that many moons ago — long before the
recollection of the most aged chieftains of their tribes —
one of their bravest chiefs was afflicted with a painful
disease, that was rapidly preparing him for the happj
hunting grounds of the spirit land. For the good of the
tribe he longed to live, and fasted and prayed to the
Great Spirit to spare him until his tribe should be de-
livered from their difficulties. The neighboring tribes
were on the war path, and he feared that his people
would fall before them, and be scattered like the sere
leaves of the forest.

The Great Spirit was propitious, and answered him
kindly —

" Spake to him with voice majeatic,
As the sound of far-off waters
Falling into deep abysses/*

THE FOUNTAIN 8TILL FLOWING. 199

telling him that in the valley that should be pointed
out to him he would find a great medicine, bubbling up
through the ground and mingling with the waters, that
should heal him of his maladies, and give him strength
to smite his enemies and overcome them. The voice of
the Great Spirit, moreover, assured him that this medi-
cine fountain would continue to yield its supply until
his tribe should cease following the wilderness and the
war path, and be all gathered into the happy hunting-
grounds of their fathers; and that it should then be
given to a tribe of strangers, with pale faces, who should
come over the big waters, and be by them desecrated to
common and base uses.

The chieftain rose from the ground, and, although
faint with fasting and weakened by disease, set out in
quest of the medicine spring. The sun was setting, and
tiie curtains of darkness were gathering around, but there
was a light that glowed in the red chieftain's heart.
From his lake-side home he turned his back upon the
I^orth star, and, faint and weary, he at last reached the
place pointed out by the Great Spirit, just as the sun was
rifling in the east. The medicine was bubbling up with
the water, the chief .recognizes the gift, and finds healing
and life in its power. The fountain has continued to
yield its supply. It is still the gift of the Great Spirit,
and its supplies should be received with gratitude.

200 NATUBAL FEATU&ES.

CnAPTEB XV.

ALLEGHENY EIVER TERRITORY.

The region along the Allegheny has not been in course
of development as Ibng as Oil creek, nor has it been de-
veloped with such persistent effort and energy, yet it haa
so far more than realized the expectations that were in-
dulged concerning it. The Allegheny is a beautiful
stream, well meriting the name the French bestowed
upon it — La belle riviere. It is remarkable for the
boldness and richness of the scenery found along its
banks, and for the endless variety that characterizes
its conformation. The current is winding, running in
almost every direction, now sweeping by the base of the
bluff on its eastern bank, leaving a little valley on the
western, and now changing to the western side and wash-
ing the feet of the cliff in its clear cold waters. The hills
are high and precipitous on either side, and, withal, the
rock is very seldom seen cropping out from their sides.
Here and there a gorge opens out between the hills,
through which a creek or run finds its way into the river.
Sometimes these gulches are dry, and show very little
indication of having recently contained water. Often-
times they appear to have been formed by some internal
eruption, or convulsion of nature, as the sides are rug-
ged and broken; they are to deep, too, to be the result

TWO-MILE RUN — HOUSE CREEK. 201

of erosion. What is called the " Dry Hollow," f'ome few
miles above Franklin, is of this character. In driving a
pipe, preparatory to boring a well, in this hollow, it was
found to be over an hundred feet to the rock, as though
there had been a mighty chasm opened between the hills.
Whether this will prove a favorable site for oil wells re-
mains to be seen.

The upper Allegheny, or that portion above Franklin,
will first be noticed. A considerable number of wells
are found on either bank, between Franklin and Oil City,
all of which are worked by means of pumps. There are
at present some fifteen wells now in active operation,
averaging, probably, five barrels per day.

The " Two-mile run,'* so called from its distance above
Franklin, was at one time considered a fevorable locality
for oil, and some three years since produced a considera-
ble amount, but latterly little h&s been done in that
vicinity. It has not yet recovered^ from the ruin and
discouragement visited upon small wells by the flowing
well excitement. It will yet, no doubt, be valuable.

Passing by Oil creek, in this place, we find Horse
creek, a considerable stream flowing in upon the eastern
side of the river, about ten miles from Franklin and three
above Oil City. In this region the indications have
been favorable, and signs propitious for many years. A
Philadelphia company is operating here with favorable
indications of success. The valleys formed by the river
and creek at this point afford a large amount of bottom
land that is favorable to the operation of boring.

Six -miles further up, we come to " Pit Hole creek,*'
now become famous for its new developments, as well as
new features in the oil business. This is a rocky precipi-
tous stream, dashing down amid the hills over loose,

202 PIT HOLE CEEEK.

broken rocks, and has a fall per mile greater than any
other stream in the oil valleys. It derives its name from
a peculiar conformation* of the country. The stream
seems to gush from an immense pit in the rocks. There
are several of these pits in the neighborhood that seem
to indicate a structure of rock different from that known
in the neighboring valleys. An old story is related of a
hunter in the olden time, who had shot a wild turkey,
and, wishing to go further and not carry his game with .
him, suspended it in one of these pits by a string. On
his return later in the day, he found his game tainted
and worthless. Others speak of villainous odors arising
from these pits. The conclusion is, that they lead to
broken cavities deep in the rock, and that gasses are
escaping from below.

Be this as it may, Pit Hole has become a popular
resort for oil men, and considered of the greatest promise
for future developments. The best well on this stream
is about six miles from its mouth, and has perhaps
attracted more attention than any other well that has
been opened during the last three years. While the
well itself is not very deep, being but six hundred and
six feet, it is located upon quite high ground and has
passed through the strata that is usually found on the
river-flat. It has even pierced the fourth sand rock
that has never been reached on Oil creek. The region
has not been leveled to ascertain the exact height ; but
this well cannot be less than four hundred feet above
the level of the Allegheny, six miles distant. Here
then is the sand rock upheaved to a level with the sur-
face within comparatively a short distance. Might it
not be supposed that underneath this region there would
be a condition of the underlying strata peculiarly favor-

.HkritrtH^i?''

WONDROUS DEVELOPMENTS. 203

able to the secretion of oil? If this upheaval was by
volcanic action, it might very reasonably be concluded
that the rock beneath would be contorted, and broken,
and left full of extensive cavities, and, being in the oil
region, these cavities would almost necessarily be filled
with oil.

This Pit Hole well flows spontaneously at the rate of
one hundred barrels per day, and this under great dis-
advantages, as the sucker rods are yet in the chamber.

A wondrous development is taking place in the re-
sources of this region. It appears to be outstripping
Oil creek itself, both in the success of the oil operations,
and the growth of its population. The first well opened
was the ** United States," in the spring of the present
year — 1865. This at once attracted the attention of oil
men, when the tide of speculation commenced, and has
continued with unflagging energy to the present time.
There are now ten flowing wells, yielding from two
hundred to eight hundred barrels each per day, on Pit
Hole creek ; with this encouraging feature, that so far
there has been no evidence of decrease in the yield.
Towns have sprung up as though by magic. Pit Hole
creek has, in less than two months, attained a population
of from five to seven thousand. The houses built in the
same period of time number about five hundred. The
place has already two banks, numerous hotels, theatre,
and arrangements for religious service. Two railroads
are in process of construction to the neighborhood of
Pit Hole. One extending from Oil City up the western
bank of the Allegheny to the mouth of Pit Hole creek,
to which it is proposed bringing the oil by means of
pipes; the other extends from Reno, accross Oil creek, to
Cherry run, thence up Cherry run to Plumer. Both

204 • REGISTER OP STRATA.

tliese roads connect with the Atlantic and Great Western
Railroad.

There are a number of fine wells near the mouth of
Pit Hole creek and above, along the Henry and McCrea
farms. These wells are from three to six hundred feet
deep. Some of them have flowed, and are now pumping
from five to twenty barrels per day.

As an indication of the strata, the following register
is given of a well bored on the Culbertson farm : —

To the rock 33 feet.

Thickness of first shalo 127 **

" " sand rock 25 "

" second shale 60 **

" " sand rock 40 *•

" third shale 2,1 "

" " sand rock 28 "

" fourth shale 215 "

*• in fourth sand rock 50 "

Total 600 ««

In the second rock there was a rose tint, approaching
a flesh color, that has frequently been perceptible in
these deep sand rocks. One of the wells on the Hussey
& McBride farm flowed from two to two hundred and
fifty barrels per day for two months ; it was then closed
up as there was little demand for oil. It has since been
pumped with an increase of yield ; it now produces some
fifteen barrels daily.

A little farther up. Hemlock creek empties upon the
eastern side of the river. This region is sometimes
known as President, that being the name of the township
and post-ofiice. This creek, in connection with the river,
presents a large extent of flat lands for the consideration

HEMLOCK — TIONESTA. 205

of parties that prefer low lands and proximity to water
courses as locations for wells. These lands are now in
process of being tested, and the successes that have
attended operations below would indicate that Hemlock
and President will not be lacking when vigorous opera-
tions shall have explored their territory.

As we approach the Tionesta, which is thirty miles
above Franklin, numerous islands dot the river, some of
them of considerable extent, that are sought after as oil
territory. Formerly islands were in better repute than
at present. It was supposed that the water courses indi-
cated the course of the oil currents, and that under the
bed of the river was the best possible location. Theory
and observation both seem to agree latterly that this is
not the case; that there are no oil currents; that oil
wherever it may be found is sluggish; and that it may
be found underneath the high lands as well as on the
water-courses. Still thebc .ciunds are eagerly sought
after, and in many cases prove very productive.

Tionesta is a bearutifui town on the eastern bank of
the river, and was, at one time, the centre of a very
thriving lumber trade. Of late this has somewhat
fallen off in importance, as the people have been giving
their attention to other pursuits. Little Tionesta empties
below the town, while Tionesta proper enters the river
at the town, and, with its tributaries Coon creek, Ross
and Salmon runs, affords a large extent of available land
for experiment and development. These operations are
meeting with success, too, in proportion as they are pro-
secuted with vigor and perseverance.

Four miles above Tionesta we come to West and
Little Hickory creeks, one upon each side of the river,
and three miles farther up East Hickory. Operations
18

206 SUCCESS ON LOWER ALLEGHElTr.

were commenced on these streams early in the history
of the oil business ; but were interrupted by the flowing
wells on Oil creek, together with the circumstances of
the war ; still there are some wells in operation, and pre-
parations for great and enlarged operations are in pro-
gress by stock companies. The geological features of
this region have a great resemblance to those of Oil
creek, and future operations may be attended by like
success.

A short distance above this is Tideoute, once the
scene of extensive and exciting oil operations, bidding
fair to rival Oil creek ; of late there has not been so much
done, as circumstances have interrupted operations to a
considerable degree. This place is in Warren county.

We return now to the lower Allegheny, or that por-
tion of the river below Franklin. There is here a large
extent of valuable land for oil purposes, and, so far as
matters have progressed, operations have been attended
with the most gratifying success. Just below Franklin
there are quite a number of successful wells, or those
yielding oil. The comparative success attending opera-
tions on this portion of the Allegheny is greater than in
any other portion of the oil region. On an average
more than half the wells bored have proved successful.
In a distance of two miles below the borough line of
Franklin, there are at present, on the western bank of
the river, thirty wells bored ; of these, eighteen yield oil
in remunerating quantities, and six, or one- third, are or
have been flowing wells. The aggregate is now about
one hundred and fifty barrels daily, having a gravity of
from 34° to 37°, Baume. In this region the depth of
the wells is about four hundred and fifty feet, and the
oil is found in the second sand rock. The variation in

WELLS COMPAEATIVBLY SHALLOW. 207

depth and in strata is so small as to be unworthy of
note.

For the same distance, on the eastern side of the river,
the number of wells is about forty-two. The ratio and
amount of productiveness is probably about the same as
that on the western shore. A fine well opposite Frank-
lin is now yielding some fifty or sixty barrels daily.

It will be observed here that all the wells as compared
with those of the upper Allegheny, and particularly
those of Oil creek, are shallow, not having advanced
below the second sand-rock. When operations are car-
ried farther below, to the third and fourth sand rocks,
new and better developments may be expected. It was
on this part of the river that the first well below Frank-
lin was opened, known as the Hoover well. The depth
was three hundred feet, and produced, by pumping, forty
barrels daily, for perhaps two years, when the proprie-
tors thinking to improve it by boring deeper, got the
boring implements fast beyond remedy, and the well has
been a sealed fountain ever since.

Five miles below Franklin upon the eastern bank is
East Sandy creek. Good success has attended operations
here. A flowing well, yielding one hundred and fifty
barrels per day, has given an impetus to operations that
will go far towards bringing to light the hidden re-
sources of this region.

Four miles farther down is Big Sandy creek, a noble
stream that branches into numerous divisions. Its
principal branches are Little Sandy and South Sandy.
Upon this stream is Waterloo, about five miles from
Franklin. Frowning hills, whose sides are covered with
boulders, overlook this stream. Many portions of the
hills present a broken and shattered appearance as

208 ISLANDS NOT DESI&ABLE.

though by Bome vast force they had been rent asunder
to afford a channel for the creek. If these appearances
indicate ajiything, this region should be a favorite place
of resort for oil men. This has been the case, and the
banks on both sides of the stream have been purchased
for many miles from the river.

There are some islands in this part of the river, that
have been explored with great success. There is one
practical inconvenience connected with boring on islands ;
it is difficult to get supplies of coal to the wells, and
often impossible to ship the oil when produced. In
addition to this, they are subject to inundation at
times of great freshets. Some of these floods are ter-
rible in their power and devastation, particularly at the
breaking up of the ice in the spring, bearing all before
them, and sweeping away every thing that comes within
the sphel:^ of their influence. Still island lands are
sought after with great eagerness, and purchased at
extraordinary prices, with a disposition to risk all acci-
dents from the spring flood, and to endure all inconveni-
ences from the low water of summer.

More attention has been attracted to the lower Alle-
gheny at the present time than ever before. Large
amounts of lands have been purchased, and extensive
companies, with capital sufficient to explore thoroughly,
have already commenced operations, and ere long mag-
nificent results may follow. It is an interesting fact, too,
that with all the success that has attended operations
here, not one well has yet reached the stratum that yields
oil the most liberally on Oil creek. From the dip of the
strata, this would be in this region from one thousand to
twelve hundred feet. When some bold operator has the
courage to disregard surface shows, and faith to push hia

GBEAT PBOMISE. 209

way downwards, it may be that a nearer approach to the
oil caverns will result in a more copious supply than has
yet been realized.

From the general direction of the streams along which
oil has thus far been chiefly found, the opinion has been
entertained that some immense deposit has been accumu-
lated at the point where all these stores converge. The
general direction of the river above and below, of East
Sandy, French creek. Sugar creek. Two-mile run, Oil
creek, Tionesta, and the Hickories, would cause them all
to converge at a point not far from Franklin, and in that
locality we might look for the great oil basin. The indi-
cations are, certainly, that this is becoming more and more
the central point of the prodjicing region, as new devel-
opments down the river and up French creek are en-
larging the area ; but there is little or no reason to sup-
pose that the oil is found tending in any direction. It
seems evidently sluggish, and confined to particular cavi-
ties, throwing out veins and crevices in various direc-
tions, which veins are generally filled with water. Still
there may be some vast receptacle or lake of oil some-
where in the oil region, connected with other lakes of
smaller dimensions, and these connected with small cav-
erns or ponds, and the whole connected by a series of
veins ramifying in endless profusion throughout all this
region.

The region along the Allegheny is not without its tra-
ditions. Some of the aged people here remember an old
Moncey chief named Koss. The old brave always as-
serted that there were silver mines along the Allegheny.
At one time he proposed pointing out one of these mines
to an old citizen, then of Franklin. It was said to be
situated in a ravine between Franklin and Oil City. After
18*

210 USES NOT DEVELOPED.

leading the wliite man up this ravine, where umbrageous
trees and moss-covered rocks made a gloomy and fearful
Bhade, they came to a second ravine, cutting the first upon
the right, where ragged rocks and irregular banks sug-
gested the work of an earthquake, and passing up the
second for a short distance the chief suddenly paused,
and with solemn emphasis said: "I dare not go farther.
The mine is within five rods of you ; find it for yourself."

CHAPTER XVI.

USES OP PETROLEUM.

Here a large field opens before us. It has not yet
been fully explored. This branch of the subject is yet in
its infancy. The great miracle of the nineteenth century,
although grasped practically in many of its details, has
not yet been submitted to that nicety of treatment and
delicacy of manipulation that will bring its hidden uses
to full view, and render every portion of it an element
of value, tending to the use, and comfort, and mental ele-
vation of mankind. It is now made to pass through the
fire, and many useful and beautiful products have been
the result ; yet much of that which is, Ao doubt, valua-
ble, goes to comparative waste, and is reckoned as loss.
Hereafter, in the chemical laboratory, under the treat-
ment of an eager and inquisitive science, it will, no doubt,
yield rich and beautiful results, that will convey to the
world still stronger evidences of the goodness of the great
Benefactor in the gift of this wondrous wealth.

AS AN ILLUMINATOB. 211

It has long been used in its natural state for many use-
ful purposes, but not until reicently has it been made to
pass through a course of treatment to adapt it to a variety
of useful purposes. This course of treatment has not yet
attained to perfection. In the refinery for illuminating
purposes, in its treatment for lubricating purposes, and,
above all, in the laboratory treatment for the extraction
of its finer and more delicate properties, it is, as yet, al-
most a terra incognita.

As an illuminator it stands pre-eminent in the form of
refined oil for the lamp. The days of tallow candles
have passed away forever. Their reign has been termi-
nated, and a better dispensation has taken their place.
Long years ago the early settlers used it in a crude state,
in rude lamps, but it was not a satisfactory agent. The
openness of the early log cabins were rather favorable to
its use, inasmuch as the smoke and vapor that accompa-
nied its use could readily pass off; but it was never used
save in cases where no other light could be obtained.

Even after the refining and deodorizing process had
been resorted to, the imperfection of the lamps then in
use rendered the refined oil a very imperfect article for
giving light. It was then used in lamps furnished with
cylindrical tubes, about an inch and a half in length,
and without chimneys. The light was but feeble, and
liable to be extinguished with even a slight breath of air,
and the lamp could not be carried from place to place.
Of necessity, the oil was then expensive, as it was found
cnly in certain localities and in limited quantities, and,
under these circumstances, it soon went out of use.

When the discovery of the distillation of oil from cannel
coal brought this fluid into use, improvements were made
in lamps so that it could be used not only with economy,

212

IMPEOYEMENT IN LAMPS.

but with pleasure ; and when the large wells of petro-
leum were opened up, the improved lamps brought it into
immediate use. After distillation and deodorizing, by
processes discussed in a future chapter, it stands chief, in
many respects, amongst the illuminating substances. Its
use is characterized by a clear, strong and steady flame,
that is most agreeable to the eye, and so different from
the staring, flickering light afforded by a jet of gas.

As an illuminator it is used with perfect safety, where
even ordinary care is exercised. It is important, how-
ever, that care and precaution should be used both by
the refiner and the consumer. If the benzine is not well
removed it is an explosive mixture, and cannot be used
with safety. And, on the part of the consumer, ordinary
care should be used to guard against accidents. The
safety or danger of the oil may be tested by pouring a
small portion in a spoon and applying a match. If it
takes fire readily it betrays the presence of benzine, and
is unsafe ; if it will not ignite, it may be oonsidered safe;
but lamps should not be filled near the fire, nor when al-
ready lighted.

Neither the illuminating qualities, nor the economy of
the light produced by petroleum, have as yet been pro-
perly appreciated. By way of contrast with other illu-
minating substances, a table, prepared by Professor J. B.
We thee, of Ohio, is here presented :

Articles Used.

Intensity of
light

Quantity of Light
from an equal
measure of oil.

Cost of an equal
quantity of light

Coal Oil Petroleum...
Camphene

13.70
5.00
2.40
1.50
2.00
75

2.60
1.30
85
74
95
30

4.00
4 95

Whale Oil

12.00

Lard Oil

17.00

Sperm Oil

26.40

Burning Fluid

20.34

AS A LUBRICATOB. 213

From this table it will be seen that refined petroleum
is superior to all other oils and burning fluids, both in
intensity of light and in cheapness of supply. It is rapid-
ly finding its way into foreign countries, and interfering
sadly with the olive orchards of Italy and other portions
of southern Europe, as it will, ultimately, with those of
Asia. It would seem that through its influence one of
the most ancient and even sacred productions of the East
is to fall into desuetude, and the vineyard and the olive
yard cease to be enumerated together, in speaking of a
fertile and prosperous land. The olive seems to be des-
tined to pass away, with all its sacred and hallowed asso-
ciations, in the East, just as the time-honored tallow can-
dle, with its associations of home, and fireside, and family
circle, has already passed away from our midst, to come
not back again.

As a lubricator, in various forms, petroleum stands
pre-eminent. Sometimes it is used in its crude state,
and sometimes with certain preparation, that is discussed
in a succeeding chapter. It is found adapted alike to
the roughest and heaviest machinery, and to the smallest
and finest, and is, at the same time, most economical and
easily applied. In combination with other substances it
can be made to retain its place, where other oils soon
wear out. ,

As a medical agent it has long held a prominent place
in the estimation of the world. It is quoted in the
oldest Hindoo medical authorities as occupying a promi-
nent place in the estimation of the medical faculty of
that day, and was well known from that day to this, as it
is still obtained largely in the Hindoo country. It was
well known to the Indians when this Continent was dis-

214 AS A MEDICAL AGENT.

covered by Europeans. Its use is alluded to in many
of the earlier histories of this country.

As to the estimate placed upon it at a very early day,
it is interesting to quote from an article published in the
"United States Magazine," for July, 1792. "In the
northern parts of Pennsylvania there is a creek called
Oil creek, which empties itself into the Allegheny
river, issuing from a spring, on the top of which floats
an oil similar to what is called Barbadoes Tar, and from
which may be collected by one man several gallons in a
day. The American troops in marching that way halted
at the spring, collected the oil, and bathed their joints
with it. This gave them great relief, and freed them
from the rheumatic complaints with which many of them
were afflicted. The troops drank freely of the waters ;
they operated as a gentle purge.**

We have another ancient authority, that if not parti-
cularly valuable is curious and rare. The quotation is
from an old work published in London nearly a century
ago. Its title in part is : — " History of the Missions of
the United Brethren among the Indians of North America.
In Three Parts. By Henry Greorge Laskiel. Printed
for the British Society for the Furtherance of the Gospel.
1794."

"One of the most favorite medicines used by the
Indians is the Fossil Oil (Petroleum) exuding from the
earth, commonly with water. It is said that an Indian
in the small pox laid down in a morass to cool himself,
and soon recovered. This led to the discovery of an oil
spring in the morass, and since that time many others
have been found in the country of the Delawares and
Iroquois. They are observed both in the running and
standing water. In the latter the oil swims on the sur-

FOE EXTERNAL COMPLAINTS. 215

face, and is easily skimmed off; but in rivers it is car-
ried away by the stream. Two have been discovered by
the Missourians in the river Ohio.

" This oil is of a brown color, and smells something
like tar. When the Indians collect it from standing
water, they first throw away that which floats on the top,
as it smells stronger than that below it. Then they
agitate the water violently with a stick, the quantity
of the oil increases with the motion of the water, and,
after it is settled again, the oil is skimmed off into ket-
tles, and completely separated from the water by boiling.
They use it chiefly in external complaints, especially in
the headache, toothache, swellings, rheumatism, disloca-
tions, ^&c., rubbing the part affected with it. Some take
it inwardly, and it has not been found to do harm. It
will burn in a lamp. The Indians sometimes sell it to
the white people at four guineas a quart."

Allusion has already been made to its use by the
early white settlers in this region. Oftentimes far from
regular medical advice and assistance they learned to
treat themselves for all minor complaints and difficulties,
and often with great success. For external injuries,
such as cuts, bruises, and dislocations, they found it an
almost sovereign remedy, and thought they could send
their friends in the East no more acceptable present
than a bottle of Seneca Oil for medicinal purposes.

In very many instances it has proved valuable as a
disinfectant. An instance is recorded where an epidemic
that was raging in a town in Italy was stayed and ulti-
mately driven away by a liberal use of it on the streets
and hospitals. There is no doubt but that advantages
would arise from a free use of it in the hospitals of our
own country, ministering to the comfort of patients and

216 ASTHMA — CONSUMPTION.

nurses, if not neutralizing the noxious odors that
abound.

When incorporated with soap, it is said to act benefi-
cially upon the person in various cases of cutaneous affec-
tions. Petroleum soap has already found its way into
market, and although as yet used medicinally, will, no
doubt, come into use as an important article of luxury in
toilet arrangements, adding to present comfort, and pre-
venting cutaneous affections that would be otherwise
unavoidable.

The vapor of petroleum has been used to much advan-
tage in cases of weak and diseased lungs, as well as in
asthma. It is taken by inhalation. For the same class
of diseases it has been taken internally in soma cases
with quite marked success. But this matter is left to
the disposition of the medical faculty, who will, no doubt,
give to it all due attention.

The effect of petroleum upon operatives, and others
brought in constant contact with it, is certainly not
deleterious. There is no evidence that it acts in any case
in a manner unfavorable to health; but, on the contrary,
there is evidence that it operates beneficially in pro-
moting strength, and increasing the flesh of those who
are in the constant habit of handling it. There is one
curious fact that has been observed in relation to work-
men engaged at the well, and that is, that their hair and
beards soon become luxuriant, dark colored, and assume
every appearance of vigorous health and growth.

The testimony of an assistant-surgeon from the bloody
field of Gettysburg, will be here in place, as to the effects
of petroleum in the medication of wounds: — "What
water is to a wound in an inflamed state, petroleum is to
A wound in a suppurating state. It dispels flies, expels

AS FUEL. , 217

vermin, sweetens the wound, and promotes a healthy
granulation. Having cjressed the wounds of two patients
with it, I found they had sunk to sleep before I had
finished the dressing of the third."

Dr. Ducaisne, a physician of Antwerp, has given his
opinion in regard to the medical properties of this sub-
stance, in stating that by fumigating the apparel of per-
sons exposed to epidemic disease with the gas arising
from it, it will afford protection from attack ; also, that
it may be applied successfully to those Gutaneous diseases
that are engendered by the presence of parasitical ani-
malcules.

As an article of fuel, petroleum is no doubt destined
to occupy an important place. Sufficient time has not
yet elapsed since its production in large quantities to
carry any important experiments to final success; but
the very nature of the material would suggest that it
might be profitably used where economy of bulk and
weight was particularly desirable, as on board steam-
ships. It is simply concentrated fuel. And if any
apparatus can be invented in which concentrated fuel
can be used safely and profitably the problem will be
solved. The grand difficulty attending ocean steam
navigation now is that the coal necessary to complete the
voyage is nearly sufficient to freight the ship without
anything further.

Now petroleum can be safely used. By a very simple
process, keeping it for a time up to 212® Fahrenheit, by
the admission of steam pipes to the tank it can be
deprived of the greater part of its explosive matter, and
rendered practically safe. Even the 29® oil of French
creek will not take fire when a lighted match is applied.
As to the apparai.us to be used, anything that woiuld di?-
19

218 KAiniFAOTURE OF GAS.

perse it, and bring it regularly and gradually to the fire
surface would be all that would be required.

Some experiments have already been made by the
United Sta-tes Navy as to the practicability of bringing
it into use in our own ships of war ; but no report has
yet been made public in regard to the matter. The
matter has also been discussed in England. A paper
was recently read there on the use of mineral oils as fuel
for steamships, in which it was asserted that twenty
gallons of oil were equal to one ton of coal, and that the
heating power of the oil was to the coal as four or four
and a half to one. This is a low estimate in favor of the
Goal, as one ton of cannel coal will produce forty gallons
of oil; but if we assume forty gallons of oil, or one
b- rel, as the equivalent of one ton of coal, we will see
the vast advantage the oil has over coal both in economy
of weight and space. A barrel of oil weighs probably
three hr^ndred pounds against twenty hundred of coal,
or nearly one-seventh, and as to bulk the proportion is
nearly as great.

If proper machinery can be produced for its use there
is no reason why a ship might not carry sufficient fuel to
make the tour of the world; or for ordinary voyages, the
space now occupied by coal could be used for other
freight, and four hands would be sufficient to man the
ship, and conduct its operations.

This product is admirably adapted to the manufacture
of gas. It possesses all the properties of coal that are ne-
cessary to this object, and has some advantages on the
score of freight where it is necessary to transport it to a
distance. As yet the crude oil is not much used for this
purpose, as a more profitable disposition can be made by
passing it through the distilling process, and using only

PARAFFINB. 219

certain portions for the production of gas. In the hands
of some distillers there is a portion of tar produced from
the residuum that is of great value in the manufacture
of gas. It has been used with complete success in many
of the factories of New England, and machinery has been
invented and patented adapted to its use.

There is another product of distillation that is used for .
the same purpose. It is the first product after the ope-
ration of distilling commences, called gassoline, very
volatile and explosive, but yet adapted to the purpose by
a simple kind of machinery. There is a slight defect in
the machinery used for making gas that may yet be ob-
viated : it is the tendency of the gas to condense when
the temperature is below freezing point. If this is obvia-
ted then the way is opening up for lighting isolated houses
and churches with gas where there can be no regularly
organized gas companies.

Paraffine is prepared from oil in small quantites. This
is " a tasteless, inodorous, fatty matter, fusible at 112°,
and resisting the action of acids and alkilies. It is so
named from its little affinity for other substances."—
Brande, This substance seems to be a product of distil-
lation rather than of mechanical separation. More paraf-
fine is separated when the distillation is carried on at a
high temperature than at a low one, as is indicated by
the color of- the distillate. When separated from the
lubricating oil it is placed in bags and pressed, after the
manner of pressing linseed oil. It then appears as a
brown mass, and, after being washed in naptha, in which
it is not soluble, the pressing is resumed until it assumes
the hard white substance that is seen in the shops. It
is used chiefly in the manufacture of candles. It is also
used in the manufacture of chewing gum, but, after all,

220 PAINTS AND VAENISHES.

is not as valuable a property as some others found in
the oil.

The naptha, or benzine, a substance that results from
distillation, and makes its appearance from the condenser
previous to that of the burning fluid, was at one time
considered valueless, and thrown away. It is now con-
sidered valuable for many purposes. In the various uses
to which turpentine was formerly applied, this substance
forms a good substitute. In paints and varnishes it an-
swers a good purpose, though, perhaps, not equal to tur-
pentine. It has this good property, however: it is an
admirable drier in paints and varnishes, where it is used,
drying and forming a body with great rapidity. The
same substance, when nicely deodorized, is used with
great success as a renovator, removing paint and grease
as though by magic, and leaving no trace behind. It can
also be successfully used as a medium for the preparation
of perfumery, as it can be thoroughly deodorized, and,
when so prepared, does not differ greatly from alcohol.
It is even asserted that brandy has been extracted from
it by chemical processes. This is not at all unlikely, and
yet it is not probable that the cause of temperance will
ever bring any serious charges against the petroleum trade
on the ground that it contributes to the manufacture of
ardent spirits.

The heavier qualities of oil have been used successfully
in the preparation of leather. Some tanners doubt
whether it has sufficient body to make good leather, but
a little preparation would, probably, obviate this diffi-
culty. The heavy substance manufactured for lubrica-
ting oil would, probably, be found to have sufficient body
for all practical purposes. In the manufacture of patent
leather, the heavy oil of French creek and Franklin is

ESTHETICS OF FETEOLEUH. 221

said to answer most admirably. One mannfactorer as-
serts that it answers the purpose better than any sub-
stance he has heretofore employed.

But the aesthetics connected with the distillation of
this oil must not be passed by in silence. On a pleasant,
sunshiny day we see a bright globule of petroleum rising
from the bed of the stream. It has had s^ long journey
in reaching the regions of upper air from its bed deep
down in the rock. It has forced its way through the
crevices until, at last, it emerges from the bottom of the
stream. As it reaches the surface of the water it dis-
perses, and, as it glides away, all the colors of the raiifc-
bow are reflected from its undulating surface.

"What radiant changes strike th' astonished sight I
What glowing h^es of mingled shade and light 1
Not equal beaaties gild the lucid west-
With parting beams o'er all profusely drestw
Not lovelier colors paint the vernal dawn,
When Orient dews em pearl th' enameled lawn.
Than in its waves in bright suffusion flow,
That now with gold empyrial seem to glow ;
Now in pellucid sapphires meet the view,
And emulate the soft celestial hue ;
Now beams a flaming crimson on the eye,
And now assumes the purple's deeper dye.
But here description clouds each shining ray —
What terms of art can Nature's powers display."

That thin pellicle on the water's bosom is lighter and
more evanescent than the morning mists, yet it possesses
a world of beauty. We gaze upon those colors, ever
changing in their lustre and variety, until imagination
revels in its most delightful dreams, suggesting thoughts
of the good and beautiful, and reminding us how beauty
lingers amid the most unpromising things of earth I Just
19*

222 COLORS.

as the bow that spans the mantling cloud reminds ns of
all beautiful things that glow around its antitype which
spans the emerald throne on high, so, as we gaze upon the
prismatic tints that are reflected from the glowing sur-
face of the oil globule, we dream of all that is beautiful
in colors and gorgeous in tinted radiance as being hidden
amid the elements of petroleum.

This dream has its fulfilment amid the processes of dis-
tillation and treatment. One product in thip treatment
is called Aniline ; that is the base of those beautiful colors
in which ladies so greatly rejoice — such as Mauve, Ma-
genta, Solferino. There is also a shade of blue called
-Cerulean, that causes one to dream of the calm blue sky
after the storm has subsided; and still another, called
Azurine, soft; and delicate as the azure vaults above.
And in process of time, no doubt, the most delicate colors
for flower and landscape painting will be educed, that
will give a new impetus to the fine arts and to the de-
velopment of taste in our midst. But the whole matter
relating to petroleum is yet in its infancy, and wonderful
results yet await development in the processes of experi-
ment and treatment.

IMPOBTANCE OF BEFINIKG. 223

CHAPTER XVII.

BEFINING.

Thus far in the history of petroleum the most impor-
tant use to which it has been applied is that of an illu-
minator. Without it the world would now seem going
back to darkness. It is particularly valuable in the
country, and in small towns, where the population cannot
be supplied with gas. And even where gas companies
are in operation it is valuable as affording a soft, steady
light, more grateful to the eye than that of gas.

The oil as found in the wells is generally unfit for burn-
ing in lamps. It was formerly used in the open air, in a
rude kind of lamp or lantern, but with little satisfaction,
as the smoke and odor accompanying the combustion of
the crude oil were absolutely intolerable. But, by the
refining process, aided by lamps of suitable construction,
these difficulties are all removed, and, as far as an illu-
minator is concerned, petroleum is the great blessing o£
the nineteenth century.

The matter of refining is simple. It consists in remov-
ing the coarse, heavy ingredients that partake much ol
the nature of coal, and preserving the lighter portions.

In this process, too, the volatile, explosive fluid is sepa-
rated, and the offensive smell almost entirely removed.
This process was somewhat understood many years ago,

224 ~ EAELY EFFORTS.

and brought into requisition to prepare the small quan-
tities of oil obtained by ditching and collecting with
blankets. This, of course, was on a very limited scale,
and not brought to much perfection. It was also brought
to bear in the finishing of coal oil, obtained by distilling
cannel coal. But there was no great stimulus to experi-
ment or research. It was more curious than profitable.
Modern oil operators have applied all the stimulus that
was necessary. Enterprise, and science, and energy have
been brought to bear in the matter, and now the opera-
tion of refining and preparing oil for illuminating pur-
poses has been brought to a very high state of per-
fection.

This matter was at first commenced on a very small
scale in the oil region. . At one time in Franklin, through
the energy of a physician and an extemporized still, oil
was manufactured each day for the wants of the town as
it was required ; and it was an honest source of pride to
feel that the oil was produced and refined within the
limits of the town where it was consumed.

But the matter soon began to enliarge. Regular appa-
ratus was provided, and regular establishments erected,
until the business of refining oil has become a prominent
and important one, not only in the oil region, but in dis-
tant places. It seemed at first natural that the business
of refining should be carried on near where the oil is pro-
duced, by way of economizing freight, but latterly almost
every portion of the oil is utilized, so that there is little
or nothing lost in the matter of freight, and frequently
there is an advantage in refining in places where coal
and labor is not so expensive as they are in the oil
valleys.

The business of refining, however, is largely carried oa

PEODUCTS OF REPININO. 225

in the oil region. In Venango county alone there are
about ninety refineries, with a capital of about a million
dollars, or an average of a little more than ten thousand
dollars each. This business is carried on with success in
the process, and profit in the final result, although, doubt-
less, there is still great room for improvement both in the
appliances and in the manipulation.

The products of the oil in the process of distillation
are much the same in every case, yet they difier much in
kind and quantity. Sometimes the process is not carried
out to the utmost capacity of the oil in producing burn-
ing fluid, and a larger proportion turned in other direc-
tions. Sometimes it is considered most profitable, and so
most desirable, to reduce almost the entire mass to the
one product of burning oil. The views of distillers differ
in this matter, and the location of the refinery has its in-
fluence in determining the process. In regions where
fuel is scarce and high, the residuum is profitable for
fuel. In near proximity to coal fields it is better to use
it in a different direction.

The usual products of the process are benzine or nap-
tha, burning fluid, lubricating matter, paraffine, and, when
carried to its utmost extent, coke. Paraffine is not found
in large quantities, and in the smaller refineries is not
regarded as of sufficient importance to warrant particu-
lar attention. In addition to these, there are some
resulting substances that may be prepared after the deo-
dorizing process has taken place, such as copperas and
phosphate of lime, that are sometimes made profitable,
particularly in connection with large refineries.

The business is carried on in works of various capaci-
ties. The stills seldom contain less than ten nor more
than one thousand barrels ; usually the capacity is from,

226 BTILLS — CHEMICALS.

twenty to fifty barrels. The stills are of wrought iron,
set in masonry, with a furnace underneath for the adjust-
ment of fire. The still is simply a mighty retort, with
its pipe connected with a condenser, or long coil of pipe,
in a vessel of cold water, in which the vapor, driven off
by heat, applied to the retort is condensed into benzine
and ** distillate," as the new product is termed.

The chemicals used are sulphuric acid and caustic soda.
These are employed in relieving the distillate of the in-
tolerable odor that clings to the oil in almost all stages
of the manufacture. Ordinarily, the smell of petroleum,
when freshly drawn from the well, is neither injurious
nor offensive — it is even pleasant ; but in the process of
refining and deodorizing it is as bad as imagination can
well conceive. There are as many distinct smells trace-
able around a large refinery as Coleridge alleged could
be detected at Cologne. But, withal, thfe process of re-
fining does not seem to work unfavorably to the health
of the workmen.

In the process of refining, as now pursued, the still
should be filled with crude oil to within one tenth of its
capacity, the man-head securely packed, and the fire
kindled underneath. As the mass within rises in tem-
perature, a portion of the water that is found in all crude
oil will separate and be drawn out at the proper orifice.
It is remarkable with what tenacity the salt water and
oil cling together. They have sojourned in loving com-
panionship so long that it is hard to separate them. The
union is like that of the prairie dog and owl, and even
snake, in the same burrow in the western prairies— dis-
similar in nature, and yet bound together by a commu-
nity of interest.

As the mass becomes warm, the first product of the

PBOCESS OF DISTILLATION. 227

condenser is a very light, volatile substance, called Gaso-
line, of a specific gravity of about 80° Baume. After
this, and when the oil has reached a temperature of 212°
Fahrenheit, the remainder of the water in the still will
pass off in the form of steam, and be condensed as acid
water. The product of the condenser is then benzine or
naptha, from 80° down to 60°, when burning fluid begins
to present itself; from 60° down to 38° the product is
different grades of burning fluid, that are usually mixed,
forming a light-colored oil when finished. Burning fluid,
for economical and safe use in the household, should not
be above a specific gravity of 46° Baume, and endure a
" fire test" of 115° Fahrenheit, and not flash in the lamp
when burning.

The product of the still under 38° is treated differently
at different establishments. Sometimes it is distilled, and
a further per centage of burning fluid extracted ; some-
times it is used for lubricating purposes, and at still other
establishments the paraffine is extracted.

The practice differs materially in different parts of the
country, both as affected by the views of different dis-
tillers, and the comparative value of different products
in the process. The practice is affected, too, somewhat
by the character of the crude oil used. This differs in
specific gravity from 38° to 50° Baume. The heavier
oils, however, are seldom or never distilled, being more
valuable for lubricating purposes. In some establish-
ments the oil of the Allegheny and that of Oil creek are
mixed, and in this way a compound of medium gravity
is obtained that works most satisfactorily.

The gasoline and naptha are then turned over to be
treated, by being steamed down to a proper degree of
gravity, for other manufacturing purposes. The distil-

228 DEODOEIZINQ.

late is now ready for the deodorizing process. It is
placed in a treating tank of iron or wood, lined with lead,
called an " agitator," where it is agitated with a paddle-
wheel, or, what is better, with a powerful wind blast,
produced by the power of a steam engine. When this
agitation resembles a miniature storm on the ocean, a
portion of sulphuric acid, amounting to from three-fourths
of one per centum to one and a half per centum, is added
slowly, and the mass agitated from ten to thirty minutes,
according to the views of the chemist. When the tank
becomes quiet, and the mass settles, the impurities are
drawn off from below, and one or more treatments made
in like manner.

When sufficiently treated with acid, and the impuri-
ties removed, the treatment is resumed in the same man-
ner with soda lye, or caustic soda dissolved in water.
After being thoroughly agitated with this addition, and
the further impurities withdrawn, lukewarm water is free-
ly sprinkled upon the oil and allowed to ruu oflf, until the
oil is found to be entirely free from impurities, when it
is ready for market.

The acid cannot be again used in this process, but need
not be lost. It may be digested with scraps of iron, and
afterwards roasted and made into copperas. The alkali
may be used again and again, until it parts with its caus-
tic properties. This may be restored by the addition of
quick lime, and finally may be made to act upon bones,
producing phosphate of lime. V

By way of contrast with the modern results of ttte, re-
fining process, the following extract of Professor Silli-
man's report, made in 1855, is appended : —

" Three hundred and four grammes of crude oil,

silliman's eeport. 229

submitted to fractional distillation, in a linseed oil bath,

gave :—

-

Temperature,
duct, at 100° d = 212° F. (Acid water.)
at 140° C. to 150° C. = 284° to 302° F.

Quantity.

Ist pro

5 grms.

2d

26 "

3d

at 150° C. to 160° C. = 302° to 320° F.

29 "

4th

at 160° C. to 170° C. = 320° to 338° F.

38 "

5th

at 170° C. to 180° C. = 338° to 356° F,

17 "

6th

at 180° C. to 200° C. = 356° to 392° F.

16 "

7th

at 200° C. to 220° C. = 392° to 428° F.

17 "

8th

at 220° C. to 270° C. = 428° to 518° F.

12 "

Whole quantity distilled 160

Leaving residue in retort 144

Original quantity 304

** Product No. 1, almost entirely water.
" Product No. 2, an oil perfectly colorless, very thin
and limpid, but having an exceedingly persistent odor, &c.
" Product No. 3, tinged slightly yellow, perfectly trans-
parent, &c.

" Product No. 4, more decidedly yellowish than the
last, &c.

" Product No. 6, more highly colored, thicker in consis-
tency, and had a decided empyreumatic odor.

" Product No. 6. This with the two subsequent pro-
ducts, were each more highly colored and denser than .
the preceding. The last product had the color and con-
sistency of honey, and the odor was less penetrating than
that of the preceding oils.

" The density of the several products of this distilla-
tion shows a progressive increase, thus:

No. 2 density, .733

No. 3 " .752

No. 4 " .766

No. 5 " .776

No. 6 •' .800

No. 7 " .848

No. 8 " .864

20

230 PEOPEETIES.

"To form an idea of the density of these several pro-
ducts, it might be well to state that sulphuric ether,
which is one of the lightest fluids known, has a density
of .736, and alcohol, when absolutely pure. .815."

In regard to the properties of this oil, Professor Silli-
mansays: — "Exposed to the severest cold of the past
winter, all the oils obtained in this distillation remained
fluid. * * * The chemical examination of these oils
showed that they were all composed of carbon and hy-
drogen, and probably have these elements in the same
numerical relation. * * * The oils contain no oxy-
gen, as is clearly shown by the fact that clean potassium
remains bright in them. Strong sulphuric acid decom-
poses and destroys the oil entirely ; nitric acid changes
it to a yellow, oily fluid, similar to the changes produced
by nitric acid on other oils ; hydro-chhric, chromic and
acetic a/yids do not affect it ; litharge and other metalic
acids do not change it or convert it in any degree to a
drying oil ; potassium remains in it unaffected, even at
a high temperature ; hydrate of potash, soda and lime are
also without action upon it.

" The oil is nearly insoluble in pure alcohol, not more
than four or five per centum being dissolved by this agent.
In ether the oil dissolves completely, and, on gentle
heating, is left unchanged by the evaporization of the
ether. India rubber is dissolved by the distilled oil to a
pasty mass, forming a thick black fluid, which, after a
short time, deposits the india rubber. It dissolves a little
amber, but only sufficient to color the oil red. It also
dissolves a small portion of copal in its natural state ;
but, ai'ter roasting, the copal dissolves in it as it does in
other oils.'*

Thus far Professor Silliman ; but it must be remem-

WANT OF A LUBBICATOR. 231

bered that the oil submitted to his examination was the
thick, heavy substance collected by ditching and forming
pits. The results would have been very different with
the lighter oils of Oil creek, brought up from the depths
below. Still the report is valuable, as showing the pro-
perties of the oil under the most unfavorable circumstan-
ces attending the examination.

CHAPTEE XVIII.

LUBRICATOES.

"We come now to speak of petroleum as a lubricator.
An unexceptional article of this kind was becoming one
of the great wants of the age. With the multiplication
of machinery, and the increase of business throughout the
land and on the ocean, the want of an article adapted
to all kinds of weather was exciting the inquiry of
various classes of business men connected with railroads
and manufactories everywhere.

Petroleum appears to answer the conditions of such an
article better than any other substance yet discovered.
It has natural characteristics that adapt it to the purpose,
is found in exhaustless quantities, and is produced at
comparatively low rates.

It has already been remarked that this oil is found
with various degrees of densities. At Franklin, on
French creek and Sugar creek it is sometimes found as
great as 29^. This heavy oil is used almost exclusively

232 COLLECTING OIL ON THE EIVER.

for lubricating purposes, being much better adapted for
the purpose than the lighter and more volative oils of
Oil creek. There does not seem to be any difference in
these different oils, save that the heavy oils being found
nearer the surface, have parted with their naptha to a
much greater extent than those found deeper in the rock.
These heavy oils are used for various kinds of machinery
without any preparation whatever, and for heavy rough
machinery answers a very good purpose ; for finer and
more delicate works some little preparation seems to be
necessary.

For a year or two after the opening of the flowing
wells, great quantities of oil was found floating upon the
surface of the river. The great wells that were yielding

' many hundred barrels per day without tankage, and the
frequent wrecking of boats during pond freshets in Oil
creek, were attended by very great waste. The result
was that for miles down the Allegheny, oil could be col-
lected in almost unlimited quantities. The mode of
procedure was to throw a boom out from the eddies
along the shore at an angle of about forty-five de-
grees. This boom received the oil while the water
passed beneath. Sometimes instead of a boom, an old
flatboat was thrown out in the same manner, and the oU
thrown into the boat with dippers and buckets. On the
shore an arrangement was provided for boiling, or rather
heating, the oil, in order to draw off the more volatile
portions, as well as separating any earthy matter that
might be mingled with it. It was also strained to
remove impurities. In this way the oil is fitted for
lubricating purposes. In its voyage on the surface of
the water it has parted with a large portion of its

~ naptha, but has taken up many impurities. By the

PUEIFIED BY HEAT. 238

heating and straining these are nearly remoyed, after
which it is placed in barrels for market.

At one time there was an extemporized establishment
of this kind for every half mile of the distance from Oil
City to Franklin, and even below for some distance. At
some of these points were gathered at times ten barrels
per day, being equal to a moderately sized oil well.

At some of the refineries lubricating oil is prepared in
large quantities. The practice differs at different estab-
lishments. At some only about fifty per cent, of illumi-
nating fluid, is run off from the stills, and the remainder
j)repared for this purpose. At others, there is a much
larger proportion of illuminating matter extracted, while
at other stills very little lubricating oil will be produced.
This will depend somewhat on different causes, gravity
of oil, value of lubricator as compared with other pro-
ducts of the still, and different views of refiners. Expe-
rience and observation are leading to many changes in
the manner of treating petroleum, and the indications
now are that the lubricating oil will gradually cease in
connection with refining, as all the residuum can be used
to better advantage in other ways, and the manufacture
be carried on independently with more profit, and per-
haps yield an article of much better quality. Still all
these processes are yet in their infancy, and must be
governed by future developments.

There are difficulties in the use of this oil, however,
even when treated in the manner described. There is a
slight grit that still remains, manifesting itself in use by
discoloring the journals of the machinery, showing that
there is a constant but slight wear of the material.
There is also a slight gum that forms in its use, that
takes up and retains the dust, together with a slight
20*

234 THE HENDRICK LTJBRIOATOE.

trace of an acid that operates unfavorably upon the
machinery, particularly that which is of a fine quality.
Various experiments have been resorted to to set free
these deleterious substances.

It is found on analyzing the petroleum that the grit is
due to a species of rotten-stone that is held in solution
with, and derived probably from its native beds. To
this, its old companion in the rock, it clings most per-
sistently, even after being brought to the surface, and it
is only by a peculiar process that it can be separated
from it. The slight trace of acid is also brought from
the same place of repose, and held in equally close com-
bination with it, until separated by chemical means.
When these two operations are performed the petroleum
begins to assume a very important place and value in
manufactures.

Establishments are already in operation for the manu-
facture of this article, and its value and importance
give the subject a growing interest. One of these, the
"Great Northern Oil Company," have already com-
menced operations in Franklin with flattering prospects
of success. Their principal article of manufacture is
what is called the "Hendrick Lubricator," for which a
patent is already secured in the United States, Canada,
and England. This article appears to have been used
with great success on our railroads, steamships, and in
our manufactories for three years past, so much so that
its success seems assured. Various grades of oil are
manufactured adapted to different kinds of machinery,
and prepared by different processes.

For coarser and heavier machinery the oil is not dis-
tilled but refined. It is first placed in a large tank
through which pipes filled with steam are passed keeping

ITS OHAEAOTERISTICS. 235

the oil up to a temperature of nearly 212° for a consider-
able length of time. By this process the inflammable
portions of the oil are driven off, ensuring its safety,
and at the same time not deteriorating its quality. The
rotten-stone and mineral acid are then removed by a
process known to the workmen, and a particular com-
pound added that adapts it to the purposes in view,
when it is deodorized, barreled, and ready for use.

For the finer and more delicate kinds of machinery a
somewhat different process is resorted to. The oil is
first distilled to remove the heavier and grosser portions.
It then passes through the processes indicated above,
and is adapted to any machinery from a sewing machine
to a steam engine.

The characteristics of this lubricator appear to be
valuable. It is entirely free from grit, gum, or acid, as
is manifest from the appearance of the machinery where
it is used, there being no discoloration of the journals by
friction in their boxes. It does not become rancid by
age as whale oil does ; nor like lard oil does it thicken
in winter and become thin in summer. There is another
advantage this article in its manufactured state has over
the crude. It is not inflammable nor explosive. While
crude oil will ignite at 100°, this is entirely safe at 200°.
Another valuable quality is that it does not congeal even
when the mercury is at the freezing point, and can be
used at all times with ease in the open air in winter.

This preparation has a strong affinity for itself, and
manifests this by being tenacious and ropy to the touch,
pre-eminently adapting it to the place it is designed to
hold, at the same time it is diffusive and searching when
applied to machinery. The finer qualities of this article
differ in appearance from the best sperm oil only in the

236 EARLY COMPANIES

peculiar blue tinge that accompanies petroleum in all
the varieties in which it is manufactured. This lubrica-
tor has the advantage of other substances of similar
design, on the score of economy, being furnished at
about half the price of sperm oil.

As a lubricator, this and similar articles manufactured
from petroleum, are assuming a very great importance,
and are, no doubt, destined to take the place of all othear
substances now in use.

CHAPTER XIX.

JOINT STOCK COMPANIES..

The first companies that were organized for the de-
velopment of the oil business did not succeed well. They
were not incorporated as a general or even ordinary
thing. There was very little responsibility connected
with them, any further than as members were possessed
of private property, and were convenient to the locality
where operations were carried on. The members of
these companies were held together by a rope of sand.
They would withdraw at any time. The company was
liable to be abandoned at any time, by discouragement,
or failing means- on the part of its members. When
this took place, the property of the association was
usually first applied to the liquidation of the debts, and
sold for a trifle, and the balance of the indebtedness

EAELY COMPANIES NOT SUCCESSFUL. 237

might be collected from the nearest member who had
means within reach of the law.

This being the case these companies or associations
became unpopular. Besides they were not calculated in
the nature of things to carry out the pui'poses intended.
There was really no capital raised. It was simply an
assessment of such sums as were necessary to carry on
the work from time to time, and, of course, the work
was feebly done. Its only result must be disappoint-
ment and failure. In all the oil valley there is perhaps
not a single case where one of these large, irresponsible
companies carried forward their operations to the final
advantage and benefit of its members.

No doubt the best possible way of carrying on the oil
business is for one, or two, or three persons of capital and
energy to procure a site, either by purchase or lease, and
carry on the business under their own personal inspec-
tion. The prospects of success are greater in this way
than in any other. But this cannot always be done.
All men of energy have not capital, and all men of
capital have not energy. Still capital must control
labor, while the world remains as it is at present, and
some plan must be adopted in order to give labor and
small means an opportunity to engage in this business,
even at the risk of injury from the capital.

In order to attain this end, and open the way for per-
sons of small means to risk, if not benefit their available
means, *' joint stock companies" have been instituted and
many of them carried on with great success and advan-
tage to the stockholders. These companies are incorpo-
rated under the laws of the States in which they are
organized, as there is an act of the Assembly of the State
of Pennsylvania permitting "foreign incorporations" to

238 A JOINT STOCK COMPANY— HOW OBGANIZED.

hold lands and transact business on her soil. These
laws differ in different States, and their application is
different in different companies.

The manner of getting a joint stock company in ope-
ration is usually the following: — A piece of property
supposed to be " oil territory" is acquired, or perhaps
several pieces are acquired, by a few gentlemen who em-
ploy a solicitor to take the necessary steps to procure an
act of incorporation. The titles to the property are
examined, and a good and sufficient conveyance is exe-
cuted from the owner to the corporation, in exchange for
which the entire number of shares into which the
company is divided is handed over to them. Sometimes
there is a provision made for " working capital ;'* either
so many shares are sold for this purpose, or the projec-
tors place a given sum in the hands of the treasurer for
this purpose.

This transaction takes place as soon as the company is
organized and the officers appointed, and at the same
meeting, a set of by-laws are adopted. The company is
then in working order.

The shares have a certain par value, which must be
plainly expressed on the face of the certificate, and on
the books of the company. These shares may be sold,
however, at a price below or above par as parties may
agree ; but whatever price the shareholder may pay for
his shares he is not liable for any assessments thereupon,
unless provision is made in the by-laws for such assess-
ment. The directors or trustees are liable for the debts
of the company if they do not set them forth in the
annual statement required by law.

This is the general plan for the organization of these
companies ; but the principles and practice differ so much

NUMBER OP COMPANIES. 239

in different States, that it is impossible to go into all the
details. The practice differs very much even in the
same State. In some cases the whole stock is issued in
payment for the land, in others a part only : the questions
of capital, expenses, and other matters being arranged
by each company to suit itself.

The number of these joint stock companies is some-
thing over six hundred, of which one hundred are paying
dividends of from one to fifteen per cent, per month;
but new ones are constantly organizing, particularly in
the large cities. Of these six hundred companies, some-
thing over one-half of the number have their principal
offices in Philadelphia ; New York comes next in order,
followed by Pittsburgh. Philadelphia has three hundred
and twenty-nine; New York, one hundred and fifty-two;
Pittsburgh, seventy-seven; Cleveland, nine; Boston,
eight; Baltimore, eight; and Erie, four; the remainder
are scattering. The nominal stock varies from fifty
thousand to ten millions of dollars, the par value of the
shares being from one to one hundred thousand dollars
each. The nominal amount of capital represented by
these companies is about three hundred and twenty-five
millions of dollars. These embrace all the companies in
the United States, operating on the joint stock principle.
It is impossible to state definitely how many of these are
operating in Venango county, but it may reasonably be
supposed that much the larger portion of them are
developing lands in this county. The whole product of
petroleum from the States of Ohio, Virginia, and Ken-
tucky was estimated in February, 1865, to be less than
one thousand barrels per day, whilst in Venango county
it cannot fall short of seven thousand barrels per day;

240 CAPITAL INVESTED.

SO that the conclusion is a rational one that the majority
of these companies are connected with this county.

This capital is drawn from all sections of the country,
and from all classes and conditions of life. Some of the
shares are purchased in the oil valleys, and some in the
most distant portions of New England. The millionaire
is represented in these stocks as well as serving woman.
The professional man has his certificate of stock laid
by among his professional papers, and the farmer often
trusts to this more than to the success of his crops.
Dazzling stories are read of sudden and enormous
wealth that has been secured in the oil regions, stories
that are many of them true, for truth is often stranger
than fiction in this region, and multitudes become intoxi-
cated with the idea of being independent and free from
care. And so the demand for shares in flattering oil
companies, instead of diminishing is increasing. New
companies are forming, and the business seems flattering
as ever, and the mighty tide of capital is swelling, until
the question is very naturally asked, '* What will be the
final result?"

The laws of the State of Pennsylvania, under which
these companies are organized and carry on their opera-
tions, have been enacted and revised at various times, in
order to adapt them as far as possible to the circum-
stances of the case. The aot of 1864 is in the following
words : —

"Three or more persons who may have associated
themselves together, by articles of agreement in writing,
for the purpose of carrying on any mechanical, mining,
quarrying, or manufacturing business in this common-
wealth, except that of distilling or manufacturing intoxi-
cating liquors, and shall have complied with the provi-

LAWS EEGULATING THEM. 241

eions of this act, shall be and remain a corporation, under
any name indicating their corporate character, assumed
in their articles of association, and which is not previously
in use by any other corporation or company." (Pamph-
let Laws 1864, p. 1102.)

"It shall be lawful for the Governor, whenever the
certificate of the organization of any such company shall
have been duly executed, in conformity to the said pro-
visions of the said acts or acts, and filed in the ofiice of
the Secretary of the Commonwealth as therein provided,
to issue letters patent under the seal of the Common-
wealth, declaring the subscribers to the stock of any such
•company, and also those who may thereafter become
subscribers or holders of the said stock, to be a body
politic in deed and in law, in the same manner and form
as is now provided by law in other cases.'* (Pamphlet
Laws 1855, p. 462.)

The surrender of the power of these companies may
be accepted by the county courts, and provision made
for the settlement of their accounts. This is done on pe-
tition of the corporation, under its seal, and with the con-
sent of a majority of its corporators. This surrender
must not, however, in any wise remove any limitation or
restriction in such charter. The accounts, also, of any
such dissolved company shall be settled in such court,
and be approved thereby ; and dividends of the effects
shall be made among any corporators entitled thereto.
(Pamphlet Laws, 1856, p. 293.)

Companies, by their directors, may pass such by-laws
for their regulation and government as they may see fit ;
provided such by-laws shall not be repugnant to any of
the laws of this Commonwealth, or of the United States,
(Pamphlet Laws, 1854, p. 437.)
21

242 PENNSYLVANIA MINING LAWS.

Shares of stock, for all legal purposes whatsoever, shall
be deemed and treated as personal estate. (Pamphlet
Laws, 1854, p. 437.)

The liability of stockholders in such corporations is set
forth in these words : —

" The stockholders of any and all corporations under
this act shall be personally liable for all sums of money
due to laborers or operators for services rendered within
six months before demand made upon the corporation,
and its neglect or refusal to make payment." (Pamphlet
Laws, 1864, p. 1107.)

The act -of April 9, 1856, seems, however, to include .
materials furnished for carrying on these operations, as
well as all debts contracted in carrying the product to
market and selling the same. (Pamphlet Laws, p. 283.)

Companies not organized under the laws of Pennsyl-
vania are permitted to hold lands and carry on their ope-
rations under certain restrictions. The words of the act
of Assembly, of 1864, are the following: — ** Any corpo-
ration, association or company not incorporated under
the laws of this State, may acquire, hold and convey, not
exceeding three hundred acres of land in this Common-
wealth for mining purposes.*' (Pamphlet Laws, p. 1098.)

As many of these associations are formed under the
laws of the State of New York, a brief reference to their
laws may be made, although they do not differ materially
from those of Pennsylvania. In forming companies there
must be set forth, in the certificate filed in the oflBce of
the Secretary of State, the corporate name, objects for
which the company shall be formed, amount of capital
stock, term of its existence, not exceeding fifty years,
number of shares into which the stock shall be divided,
number of trustees and their names, who shall manage

KEW YOEK MINING LAWS. 243

the concerns of the company for the first year, with the
names of the town and county where the operations of
the said company are to be carried on. (Laws of New
York as amended, 1857, ch. 262.)

If these operations are to be carried on out of the
State, the certificate shall so state, and also the town and
county where the business is to be carried on in the State
of New York, and this shall be the principal place of
business within the meaning of the provisions of the act.
(Laws, 1857, ch. 29, § 3.)

Trustees may call upon stockholders for all sums sub-
scribed by them, under the penalty of forfeiting the
shares of stock subscribed for, and all previous payments
made thereon, if payment shall not be made within sixty
days after the said demand has been properly made.
(Laws, 1860, ch. 269, § 9.)

" All the stockholders of every company incorporated
under this act shall be severally individually liable to the
creditors of the company in which they are stockholders,
to an amount equal to the amount of stock held by them
respectively, for ail debts and contracts made by such
company, until the whole amount of capital stock fixed
and limited by such company shall have been paid in,"
&c. (Laws, 1860, ch. 269. § 10.)

" A stockholder," however, " is not liable for debts of
the corporation which were contracted before he became
a stockholder." (Tracy v. Yeates, 18 Bart., 152.)

" A stockholder is • liable only to the amount of his
stock." (Woodruff & Beach, iron works, v. Chittenden,
4 Bosworth, 406 ; Garrison v. Hone, 17 New York Re-
ports, 458.)

" Nothing but money shall be considered as payment
of any part of the capital stock." (S. 14.)

244 PRINCIPLES AND PEACTICES.

The same authority is given to companies as in Pennsyl-
vania of making by-laws for their regulation and govern-
ment, with the same restriction, viz: that they shall not
be repugnant to the laws of the State.

The principles on which these companies proceed are
just and equitable, and if all men were just and right-
eous in their dealings, the plan would generally work to
the advantage of all parties concerned. The business of
searching for and procuring oil must necessarily be hence-
forth in the hands of capital. Matters have assumed
such a form that the man of moderate means cannot em-
bark in the business, for large capital is indispensable.
Now, the theory in regard to these companies is that capi-
tal may be secured by many persons of small means, in
connection with others of greater ability, contributing
what is convenient to a common stock, and thus be pre-
pared, in the aggregate, for competing with individuals
of large capital. In theory it is like many little streams
uniting their waters to form the river, on whose wide
bosom commerce seeks its way to the ocean. There are
many persons, too, whose tastes and avocations in life
will not permit them to engage directly in this business,
who, by connecting themselves with it by means of stock,
may, probably, realize some profit from the connection.
Persons at a distance, who may have no knowledge of the
practical operations connected with the business, may, in
connection with a company in which they have confi-
dence, realize handsomely from even small investments.

As to the practical operation of these joint concerns,
there has been a very great variety of experience. They
need not necessarily fail — they will not always succeed.
Very many of them have been prosperous beyond the
most sanguine expectations of their originators and stock-

TBUE AND FALSE. 245

holders. If the site selected be a judicious one, if rich
cavities be opened, and the affairs of the company be ad-
ministered judiciously and faithfully, there is every pros-
pect of success, with large dividends and liberal advance
in the value of stock. Some of these companies have
already declared dividends of from fifty to two hundred
per cent, per annum. And some of these associations
have been managed most admirably. In fact, some of
the best business men and financiers in all the land have
been connected with them, who have brought to bear
their ripened experience, their practical knowledge, and
their stern and inflexible integrity, in placing these com-
panies on the best possible footing.

When a company has become possessed of a valuable
territory, and has succeeded in developing it successful-
ly, and managed it judiciously and honorably, its char-
act'Or becomes established, investment in its stock becomes
safe, and its profits liberal.

But in stock companies, as in other things, there is the
good and the evil — the true and the false. In all the
details of business the case is the same. The spurious
bank note goes on its way with the genuine, and often
it is difficult to distinguish between them; yet the
existence of the counterfeit does not condemn the genu-
ine note, nor throw discredit upon the banking sys-
tem. Beyond all question, there are spurious and worth-
less stock companies. It could not be expected that it
would be otherwise, for all men are not what they
should be.

There may be two classes of unreliable and worthless
companies. A company may be organized in good faith,
and all its operations conducted with integrity and a de-
sire to secure the best interests of the siookholders^ and
21*

246 STATUS OF STOCKHOLDERS.

yet fail of realizing the expectations of those connected
with it. The lands may not prove productive. Instead
of pumping and flowing wells, there may be nothing but
"dry diggings;" and the result will be, that either as-
sessments must be resorted to in order to develop new
territory, or the company must disband, with the loss of
all that was invested, and possibly a burden of debt to
be liquidated in the best manner possible.

Again, it is a possible thing for the whole matter to be
mixed up with unfaithful dealing on the part of the ma-
nagers. Worthless lands may be procured, or a small
extent of promising land, with a large extent of mere
valueless soil appended, and the stock disposed of with-
out any earnest honest intention of realizing for the
benefit of the stockholders. The whole matter is carried
forward in unfaithfulness and fraud, and the result is
disaster and disappointment to the stockholders. • There
are numerous safeguards thrown around this business by
the law, but where there is a disposition to do wrong,
the opportunities are not wanting;- besides, the very na-
ture of the business precludes the large number of stock-
holders from knowing much about the way in which
operations are carried forward. ' The company is, per-
haps, organized in New York, or Boston, or Philadelphia.
The work is carried on in Venango county, and the
stockholders are, perhaps, scattered over different States
in the Union, and all must ordinarily be left to the trus-
tees and managers of the company.

Under these circumstances, then, it is not strange that
many a hardly earned dollar finds its way into the rock,
or what is worse, into the coffers of the sharper, to come
not back again* Nor is it strange that many a brilliant
dream of wealth and competence vanishes as the dreams

CAUTION TO BE USED. 247

of the night, leaving the dreamer to write " Ichabod'* on
his faithless certificates of stock.

But all this does not condemn these companies in their
principles and practical operation. Very often stock-
holders in worthless companies purchase stock heedlessly
and recklessly, and have but themselves to blame for
their misfortunes. In this matter, as in every other con-
nected with the practical business of life, care and cau-
tion must be exercised ; dazzling promises must not be
trusted; inflated advertisements must be believed spa-
ringly, in the absence of positive knowledge either of the
location, or of the integrity and judgment of the mana-
gers of the company.

Nor should extravagant expectations be indulged in,
under the best circumstances. This mad and eager haste
to be rich induces many to invest all, and more than they
really possess, in oil stocks, under the delusive notion
that sudden fortune is within their grasp. Among the
tens of thousands who are mingling in the oil business
in some form or other, it is manifestly impossible that all
should become wealthy, for it requires a vast accumula-
tion of money to constitute wealth in these days of pe-
troleum.

Yet, after all, with reasonable care and judgment, and
reasonable expectations in regard to a return, small in-
vestments in this promises as favorably as any other j
branch of business. And where there is but a small'
capital at hand, investment in joint stock companies,
when made with care and caution, is the best way of ap-
proaching the matter.

At the present time, companies that pay dividends at
all, usually declare them monthly. There is a kind of
pressure in this that does not always work to the advan-

248 DEMAND FOE DIVIDENDS.

tage of tHe company or the stockholders. The great ma-
jority of these companies are struggling for popularity
and for life itself ; and, in order to establish confidence
and secure a respectable footing, it is supposed desirable
to declare frequent dividends, conveying the idea that the
company is in a flourishing condition. This may or may
not be the case. Companies that are in a condition^ as
many of them are, to declare such dividends without
straining their capacity or sacrificing their product when
the market is dull, may safely do so ; but there is a temp-
tation in the way of feeble companies to declare monthly
dividends, when, in order to do so, they are obliged to
force their product on the market at a very low price,
and thus work serious injury to their interests. Still, the
demand is for frequent dividends, and for stock that never
fails to be reported as paying monthly, even though semi-
annual, or even yearly dividends would conduce more
largely to the prosperity and general interests of the
compani .

CHAPTER XX.

ORiaiN OF PETROLEUM.

And now where shall we look for the origin of this
treasure? From what elements is it elaborated? We
cannot go with the great Chemist to his laboratory, and
look upon the ingredients, and notice the treatment em*
ployed there. We cannot notice the number and volume

OKIGIN WHEN?— WHERE? 249

of the retorts, nor look upon the mighty furnace fires
that promote the distillation, nor can we tell when this
mighty supply was laid up in the rocky tanks. Science,
although denominated the "star eyed," cannot pentrate
the mighty strata of everlasting rocks that lie beneath
us, and reveal to us those mysteries of nature. There is
a bound that the Almighty has placed when he says,
"Hitherto shalt thou come, but no farther.'*

*' Nee scire fas est omnia."
Nature is God's mighty domain ; we may traverse a part
of this domain, but not the whole extent, for we are
finite, and the resources of our minds limited to a narrow
horizon. God alone is great ! " There is a path that no
fowl knoweth, and which the vulture's eye hath not seen :
the lion's whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion
passed by it. He putteth forth his hand upon the rock;
he overturneth the mountains by the roots. He cutteth
out rivers among the rocks; and his eye seeth every
precious thing. He bindeth the floods from overflowing;
and the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light.'*

Nature has her mysteries. The earth has her great
secrets. But over all a God of wisdom and goodness
presides. Age after age has rolled by, change after
change has agitated the history of Time, as forms of
beauty have been moulded and marred, as songs of joy
have been sung, and requiems of sadness chanted in the
great highways and quiet by-paths of life, the living of
bygone ages are slumbering quietly in the dust, and the
living of the present are hurrying to the same *' pale
realms of shade." The nations of antiquity have passed
off the stage with all their grandeur and littleness, and
the nations of modern times are surging and dashing to
and fro, like in the wild chaos of ocean's storms.

250 TEBTIMONY OF THE ROCKS.

We go back to the history of time, ere " the morning
stars sang together *' their joyous refrain as earth emerged
from chaos, and there is still a history — a strange, a
wondrous^ a mysterious existence. But this history is
not chronicled in the annals of time ; it is written not
on pillars of brass, nor leaves of parchment, but upon
the mighty leaves of the everlasting rock that make up
the volume hidden beneath the earth's surface. This
history is written by the same finger that graved the
sublime words of the Decalogue on tables of stone upon
Mount Sinai.

*' The testimony of the rocks" assured us that stupen-
dous changes were working in the earth's constitution
before there were created eyes to look upon them, or
rational intelligence to become conscious of them — that
age after age rolled by under the guidance of the great
Governor of all things, all tending to the one great sub-
lime point when earth should emerge from her darkness
and gloom, and become a fit abode for man — " Of all
God's works the latest and best," a fitting theatre for the
great tragedy of all the ages, and all the universe.
"Mercy and truth meeting together, and righteousness
and peace embracing each other 1"

And during all the changes that have elasped since
man was placed upon earth, a strange, mysterious work
was perhaps going forward beneath us in the earth's
bosom. A great dream of science, but perhaps an ear-
nest, glowing reality suggests, that when God's almighty
power was gradually preparing the earth for man's
dwelling place, rolling away the curtains of darkness,
forming channels for oceans and rivers, and heaping up
as barriers the mountain chains of earth, his eternal pre-
science of man's coming need induced him to bury deep

NOT MERE THEORY. 251

down in earth's subterranean recesses the imperfect
vegetable organisms of a pre-Adamite state, that in the
ages to come, coals, and oils, and gases might be drawn
forth to supply his wants.

This is not mere, theory. The hand- writing of nature
on the rocky pages beneath, assure us that such was the
case. The carboniferous age as revealed to us in the
mighty coal strata of the earth assures us that so far, at
least, we are drawing our supplies of fuel from the dead
organisms' of the mighty past ; and analogous reasoning
would lead us to the conclusion that our present supplies
of petroleum are drawn from the same wonderful source,
and proceeding from the same mysterious origin.

We find hi the coal deposits traces of ferns and leaves
of gigantic stature and proportions. Casts of huge boles
of trees are found among our fossils, inducing the belief
that in some bygone age quantities of vegetable matter,
absolutely enormous, were produced on the earth's sur-
face. Now the counsels of the Almighty are one and
uniform. From the moment when this world assumed a
place in his infinite plan of creation in chaotic confusion,
down to the dawn of time, and thence onward to the
final epoch in its history, when it will be purified by
fire, and made beautiful in purity and holiness, the
design was one, to prepare earth for a habitation for
man, and the working out of grand and glorious results.
The wonderful production of vegetable matter in a by-
gone age, as the material from which coal and petroleum
was to be produced, would be as much a part of that plan
as the drying up of the earth's surface to prepare the
way for the creation of man.

It was no mere accidental circumstance that this
vegetable deposit was changed to coal and oil, nor was

252 VEGETABLE DEPOSITS.

it a merely fortuitous event that in these last years these
stores of wealth were brought to light. It was the time
appointed in the eternal counsels for their appearance.
It was the fulfilment of the word of life, that earth
should supply abundantly the wants of all the creatures
moving upon its surface.

Judging from the testimony of the rocks there was a
period in the eons of God, when the earth was literally
burdened by immense masses of vegetation, when fronds
were mighty trees, when huge foliage extended in every
direction, and when reeds and rushes were so gigantic
that, compared with them,

'♦ The tallest pine
Hewn on Norwegian hills, to be the mast
Of some great admiral, were but a wand."

Stillness and quiet reigned around. Every thing was
favorable to the production of this rank, luxuriant
growth of vegetable matter.

But revolution has been characteristic of this world's
history, in the periods written on the rocks, as well as
since the birth of time. The age of this wonderful vege-
table deposit must pass away, to give place to new
scenes in the great work of preparation for man, and it
is presumable that, in some of these revolutions that
have agitated our planet, renovating, improving, and,
fitting it for a higher order of life, mighty deposits of
this vegetable matter were buried up amid the rocky
strata, to be revolved in new forms and products.

There is a law of attraction that runs through all the
Creator's works here, that, no doubt, operated in the dis-
position of this vegetable deposit. The black-sand on
the lake shore is attracted together, and is found col-
lected in strata, so when the mighty revolution that

HEAT. 253

buried up tliese primeval forests was mingling all tilings,
this vegetable matter, by its inherent attraction, segre-
gated itself from other substances, and settled down in
immense masses in particular localities, ready for the
changes that were to pass upon its substances. And it
may be that since the days of Adam this vegetable
deposit has, under certain circumstances, been under-
going the process of destructive distillation in the hidden
regions beneath. In this process heat would not be
wanting : it is furnished by the natural constitution of
the earth.

Says Professor Hitchcock : — •

" Whenever in Europe or America the temperature of
the air, water, or rocks, in deep excavations, has been
ascertained, it has been found higher than the mean tem-
perature of the climate at the surface, and experiments
have been made at hundreds of places; it is found that
the heat of the earth increases rapidly as we descend
below that point in the earth's crust to which the heat
extends. The mean rate of increase of heat has been
stated by the British Association to be one degree of
Fahrenheit's Thermometer for every forty -five feet; at
this rate all the known rocks in the earth would be
melted at a depth of sixty miles."

But we need not think it necessary to descend thus
far in the earth's crust to find the phenomena of great
heat. It is often found near the surface. It bursts forth
in melted rocks from the summits of mountains. Vol-
canic action is seen and felt everywhere. Through fis-
sures in the primeval rocks this heat may find its way to
the buried strata of vegetable deposits, and produce all
the action that is necessary for the carrying out of the
theory of vegetable origin.
22

254 ANALYSIS AND SYNTHESIS.

Here then, we have all the conditions necessary to the
production of petroleum. The vegetable deposit was
made amid the rocks, we know not when ; internal heat,
with perhaps chemical action, has been decomposing
that matter, and setting free its gases ; these again have
been condensed as they approached the surface, and
have filled up the cavities, and accumulated amid the
rocks, until, in these last days, the earth has literally
poured out her unctuous treasures.

Again, as to the vegetable origin of petroleum, or
rather that coal and oil have the same origin, we have
these facts; oil almost identical with petroleum is
manufactured from coal. A single ton of cannel coal
placed in the retort will yield forty gallons of oil very
similar to the product of the wells, and the simple agent
used is heat in a confined position. Here is the proof
from analysis. On the other hand we can manufacture
coal from oil as it comes from the wells. In the process
of distillation and refining, when the process is carried
to the last degree, a substance is found in the bottom of
the still strangely like anthracite coal. It lacks but the
one process, that is pressure, to make anthracite coal.
Here we have the proof from synthesis. And to
strengthen this theory, we find coal of two different
varieties in various parts of our land. One is the bitu-
minous, that is found chiefly on the western slope of the
Alleghenies, soft and full of fatty matter ; the other on the
eastern slope, hard, dry, and destitute of any oily matter,
showing evidently that the action of heat has passed
upon it, driving off its gasses, and leaving it in much
the same condition as the bituminous, after the oil is
extracted. Whether our present oil deposits are from
the distillation of the coal beds on the eastern slope of

DIFFEBENT STRATA — CA VEENS. 265

the AUeghenies is another question. Most probably, how-
ever, they are due to a work going on beneath us, or
further toward the southwest, whither the inclination
and trend of the rock strata would seem to lead. A
reasonable theory would seem to be that in the entire
region of country where we now find the oil valleys
there was at one time an internal sea, that after the
great deposit of vegetable matter, in some grand revolu-
tion, a mighty deluge of sand swept over it; still further
changes brought the mud deposit, then the sand again,
until, at the final settling down of the difierent strata, a
hardening process took place through the agency of heat
and pressure, until we have now the diffierent strata of
shale and sand rock, resulting, so far as discovered, in
seven alternate strata of these two general characters.

In this hardening process we would naturally expect
to find the rock twisted or bent, broken into fissures and
seams, and even in cavities of great extent. This would
be the case particularly if these changes were accompa-
nied by volcanic action. The brick is of much smaller
proportions after it is burned than before, as it has all its
moisture driven out by heat ; so the space occupied by
the hardened rock must be less after it has been dried
and solidified by internal heat. The product of the con-
traction would be crevices, cavities, and, if volcanic power
be superadded, great caverns distributed here and there,
that would be fit receptacles for the oil when distilled
from the vegetable matter below.

Before the discovery of flowing wells, it was generally
supposed that the oil was found running in slender chan-
nels and leaders through the rock, like water veins near
the surface. But their spasmodic overflows have demo-
lished this theory. The mighty fountain can only proceed

256 VEINS ONLY PIEECED.

from some great reservoir. The "burning well" flowed
twenty thousand barrels in a comparatively limited space
of time, and others have flowed steadily from one to three
years. We can only account for these phenomena on the
supposition of great reservoirs in the broken rock, more
or less connected with each other.

But we need not necessarily proceed on the supposition
that in any case these large caverns have been actually
tapped. The probabilities are that they have not been
reached in any instance, for the cases are rare where the
bit has sunk any great distance when a vein of oil has
been reached — in na case, perhaps, more than from six
to twenty inches. It is probable that simple veins or
crevices are tapped, that lead to the grand reservoir far
beneath. In some cases vertical crevices may be struck
that are of considerable extent, and in others horizontal
veins, that run in various directions, until they lead to
the fountain of supply. These veins are of all possible
sizes — some very minute, furnishing the simple " show of
oil," that is at times so deceptive to the workmen, and
sometimes like the jugular vein, that leads to the centre
of supply. ,

Such crevices and veins are found in the different
strata of the rock in boring, and the probabilities are
that in the rock Hear the source of supply they become
larger as the space occupied by the vegetable deposit be-
comes smaller. The consequence would be, then, that
the gasses and oil would rise and fill these cavities, and
find their way upward until they would eventually pre-
sent themselves at the earth's surface.

These cavities being at different depths, and the veins
running in every possible direction, accounts for the fact
that wells are found yielding oil at diff'erent depths in

THE SOURCE AS YET UNEXPLOEED. 257

the same neighborhood, and even different qualities of
oil ; and also, for another fact, that wells within forty-
feet of each other do not in the least interfere. It is only
when the same horizontal vein is tapped by different par-
ties that the interference takes place.

But the different qualities of oil found at different
depths shows that the product is due to distillation. At
Franklin and on French creek it is found nearest the
surface. At Evans' well, at the depth of seventy-two
feet, the density is 29° Baume ; other wells in the vicinity,
but deeper, yield 32°, while the deeper wells of Oil creek
are from 40° to 46°, showing that as we descend amid
the rocks the oil assumes a point nearer a gaseous state,
containing more naptha and a less proportion of heavier
Bubstances.

The rock where this supply is formed seems to belong
to the Devonian age, but where it had or has its origin
we cannot determine. The project has been suggested
of sinking a shaft down to the region where it is found,
of such size that the character of the strata might be de-
termined hj ocular demonstration, descending literally
among . the rocks, and looking at the oil ia its hidden
home ; but the project is surrounded by insuperable diffi-
culties, arising from the ingress of water, and the loose,
open nature of many of the strata. Should the " Dia-
mond well,'* referred to in another chapter, prove of
practical value, it will add greatly to the knowledge we
have already attained in regard to the structure and
character of the rocks.

So far all is left to speculation. The hidden path yet

remains unexplored. It may always remain so ; but we'

have the great fact of Divine Providence, in the rich and

copious supply, that is nevertheless valuable because it

22*

258 WILL THE SUPPLY BE PERMANENT?

flows from an unknown source, and comes to us through
unexplored channels. The practical fact is before us —
we may amuse ourselves with theories as we may think
best.

CHAPTER XXI.

PERMANENCE OF THE SUPPLY.

And here another question of great and weighty im-
portance arises in regard to the supply of petroleum.
Will it be permanent ? Is it laid by in sufficient quanti-
ties, either as oil, or the material from which oil is dis-
tilling, to supply the wants of man through all coming
time? These are important inquiries, and cannot be
fully answered ; yet we can draw light from other of the
resources of nature,, and from the history of other oil de-
posits throughout the world, as well as from what we
know of the structure of the rocks in our own region
and the general operations of Providence.

We are often disposed to distrust Providence, when
there is no ground to doubt His goodness and faithful-
ness. There is as little room to doubt the continuance
of this rich supply as that of other natural supplies.
There was a time when rational, intelligent men feared
that the coal would all be exhausted, and the world be
left to perish for want of fuel. This was so much the
feeling in England a few years ago that a commission
was appointed to make a geological survey, and report

NO GROUND FOR DOUBT. 259

on the subject. The result of the survey and investiga-.
tion was, that there was coal in the mines of England
alone, to answer all the purposes of the nation for many
thousand years, or until England should no longer need
fuel. So it was in our own land before geological sur-
veys had opened up the resources of our country. Its
existence was not suspected in many places where it now
abounds, and its extent is greatly magnified to our ob-
servation in regions where we before knew of its pre-
sence, The wants of the world, and the pressure of these
wants, lead to investigation, and this results in discovery.
The light of the past is surely worth something in this
matter. We read of it first on the plains of Shinar four
thousand years ago ; it is found in the same locality at
this day. We read of slime-pits, or petroleum springs,
in the days of Abraham — they have not yet disappeared.
We read of the building of Babylon in the sacred book,
and Herodotus, Diodorus the Sicilian, Josephus, and other
profane historians tell us that its walls were cemented
with bitumen, and that this bitumen was brought from
the banks of the Issus, a tributary of the Euphrates. The
testimony of modern travelers is, that this substance is
found in large quantities on the Issus at the present time.
No doubt there were wise Babylonians in the days of
Nimrod, and Semiramis, and Nebuchanfzzar, who pre-
dicted that the pitch on the banks of the Issus would
soon be exhausted, as they were drawing so lavishly upon
it to build the walls and towers and monuments of the
great city. Still they went on building and enlarging
and beautifying that wondrous city, and drew all the
petroleum that was needed, and still the supply did not
fail ; and it is bubbling up there freely now, and, no doubt,
some new Nimrod might go on and rebuild the fallen

260 THE ANCIENT SUPPLY UNEXHAUSTED.

city, and another Semiramis enlarge it from the same
material, and still not exhaust the supply.

Petroleum, in much the same form in which we find it
in our own valleys, was gathered in Asia, on the banks
of the Irrawaddy, as long back as we have authentic his-
tory to guide us. The Burmah wells have been famous
for more than two hundred years. They have been
yielding about one thousand barrels annually, under the
unfavorable circumstances connected with them, and yet
manifest no signs of failure.

If we come down to more modern times, we find petro-
leum, in the form and under the name of Barbadoes tar,
produced largely in the West India Islands. It has, for
many years, been largely exported to almost all foreign
countries for medical purposes, without, as yet, making
any impression on its quantity, or reducing it in any per-
ceptible degree. Humboldt, writing in 1799, speaks of
the product of oil in the same island as being immense,
in the form of naptha, (most probably the form in which
we find the oil here) spreading itself over " a large sur-
face of the sea." Petroleum is found in the West India
Islands in large quantities still ; a flow of sixty-five years,
that was, no doubt, constant in its quantity, has not ex-
hausted it.

The same might be said in regard to the yield in our
own valleys. We can trace its history here for one hundred
and twenty years. It was as plenty then on the surface
as now. It could be gathered during all these years in
quantities as great as the limited machinery employed
would admit. Vast quantities made its escape every year
that was not noted. It bubbled up through a thousand
cavities in the beds of our streams, was beautiful for a mo*
ment as it spread itself upon the water, and then vanished

MAY NOT COAL BE EXHAUSTED? 261

forever. It oozed forth from small crevices in the rock,
and found its way to the surface of the ground, and
evaporated, leaving little signs of its presence. The
gases dispersed themselves in an invisible form through
the atmosphere, and were unnoticed. Still there was no
inconsiderable amount of petroleum produced from year
to year. Yet we find the store-houses to be amply filled.

It may be said that never before was there such a drain-
age upon the fountain as now, and that in the history of
the ancient wells alluded to, modern American genius
and enterprise had never been brought to bear. Even
so, but the same argument might be brought to bear in
the coal supplies, and made to show that they would
soon be exhausted, since ocean steamships and modern
machinery of various kinds are making such havoc with
their stores. The only difference consists in this, as far
as the force of the argument is concerned : The coal beds
lie near the surface, and a very clear approximation
can be made as to their volume, and the extent of their
resources ; whereas petroleum lies far down in concealed
caverns and rocky recesses, where no human eye can
penetrate, and no human hand can gauge its quantity or
compute its volume. Yet there is no more reason to sup-
pose that the latter will in time be exhausted than the
former.

The whole history of the past may be searched in vain
to find evidence that would lead to a fear that the oil
deposits will eventually be exhausted. Not a single ar-
ticle that has been supplied for the comfort or welfare of
man has ever been withdrawn by the hand that gave
it. New articles are brought to light again and again,
new uses for articles already well known are frequently
discovered, but not one instance where an article has been

262 PEABS CONCERNING TIN.

largely developed, and of great practical utility, is re-
corded as having been withdrawn from use by a failure
in the supply. It would be preposterous, then, to sup-
pose that an article of such general utility, and capable
of being brought to bear in so many of the operations of
life, should be thus exhausted, and cease to be known
among the great staples of the world.

As an example of the inexhaustible nature of all the
really useful productions of the world, mention might be
made of tin. For a long time it was found only in Corn-
wall, England. The veins that contained it were com-
paratively small and insignificant. It was secreted in
hard granite. Mining operations were carried on with
great difficulty Siud expense. The territory where these
small veins were found was limited, and it seemed that
the supply must soon be exhausted. Yet those Cornwall
mines have been supplying the world with tin for more
than twenty-five hundred years, and are not yet exhaust-
ed. There is evidence that this metal, more highly valued
then than now, found its way to the Temple of Solomon.
It finds its way still into every temple and household
throughout the civilized world.

So it will be with petroleum. If the demand is greater
than for tin, the sources of supply are larger, the evi-
dences of its dissemination wider and more extensive.
There is really no more reason to apprehend a total fail-
ure of this article than of the wood of the forest, or the
coal of the mines. We may feel sure that it has taken
its place among the valuable and indispensable articles
that belong to the human family for all coming time.

We have already noticed the supplies that were laid
down in the unknown ages of the history of the world,
and, from the character of the vegetation of that age, we

INDEFINITE CAPACITY. 263

may well imagine that that supply would be copious. "We
do not find in the oil-bearing rock any fossil remains, be-
cause the region cannot be exposed to ocular view. The
rock that is brought to the surface in the sand pump is
beaten fine almost as the dust of the balance. Its sub-
stance can be detected, but not its peculiar characteris-
tics. But, on the surface of the rock, and in the strata
that crop out from the hills all over the oil region, we
find remains of vegetable deposit. Its paleontology is
peculiarly rich and abundant. We cannot doubt, then,
'but that the deposit of vegetable matter beneath is plen-
tiful if not inexhaustible.

We have indubitable evidence that the structure of the
rock is broken and open. The number of water veins is
evidence pf this. The mud vein spoken of in a previ-
ous chapter aflfords corroborative proof, inasmuch as it
suggests that not only water but earthy deposit has per-
colated through the rock to a great depth beneath the
surface. And the fact that, with scarcely an exception,
the operation of boring has revealed seams and crevices,
confirms the opinion that both the sand-rock and shale
are broken and Reamed, and filled with cavities. Now,
these cavities may be of very great extent, deeper than
the drill has ever pierced ; these cavities may be larger
and more extended than they appear to be in regions
partially explored. No doubt they ramify in all direc-
tions, reservoir connected with reservoir, and these with
connections that extend upwards through a stratum not
so largely seamed and broken, until they approach the
sphere to which boring operations have already extended.
This latter region appears to be full of comparatively small
cavities, and to be reticulated by leaders that run in al-

264 OIL STILL FORMING.

f

most all directions, but growing smaller and more con-
fined as they approach the surface of the rock.

If this theory be correct then, and the jaature of the
rock be more open and broken and upheaved as we de-
scend, we may naturally expect that the cavities far be-
neath will be capable of furnishing • an inexhaustible
supply.

But we have no evidence that the formation of oil has
ceased in the regions below. We know that the mighty
furnace fires are still kept up, and there is reason to believe
that the store of vegetable deposit was at the first ample,
and why may we not suppose that the mighty retorts in
the rocks below are still kept in active operation ? There
is no limit, surely, to Omnipotence. And if we take the
mode of his operation, as we see it carried forward on
the earth's surface, as a criterion by which to judge, we
shall be strengthened in the belief that the same course
of production and supply is carried out in the regions
below. As a general thing, every year produces its own
harvests. The ground is constantly changing. Through
the action of air and rain and frost and the running streams,
the soil is deepened and made productive. The forests
grow and decay, asasting in the same design. The coral
insect, by its minute yet ceaseless labors, raises islands
and peninsulas from the ocean's depths, to add to the
aggregate of tillable land, as the inhabitants of earth in-
crease. The currents and streams of the ocean preserve
its waters, while the winds and storms purify the air and
render it healthful. The waters evaporate and pass up-
ward, to return again in the form of rain and snow, to
refresh the earth and minister to the comfort of its in-
habitants. There is a ceaseless, constant change going

OIL DEPOSITS IN FEW LOCALITIES. 265

on all around us, in order to work out grand, blessed
results for the good of earth's inhabitants.

Changes analagous to these are most probably going
on in the great deeps that cannot be fathomed by mortal
lines, and that cannot be searched by mortal eyes. The
same power operates there that is more clearly visible at
the earth's surface. The same hand makes provision
beneath as above, and the same activity in operation and
fertility of supply would be manifest there, could we see
it, as is so obvious in the times and seasons of our daily
experience.

" Deep in nnfaihomable mines
Of never failing skill,

He treasures up His bright designs,
And works His sovereign will."

We need not be led by this reasoning to suppose that
the supply either of vegetable deposit, or the process of
distillation or production of oil, is to be found in every
part of the earth's interior. At the time wheii the for-
mer was laid down in its place of repose, there were pe-
culiar causes, no doubt, in operation, by which this mass
of vegetable organisms was aggregated in particular lo-
calities. Mighty revolutions, no doubt, accompanied the
changes in the earth's features, as it was gradually ap-
proaching its present form. In the Devonian age, when
this deposit was made, as the earth's crust was heaving
and agitating, rapid currents of water would naturally
bear it in masses to deep basins and cavities, assisted in
part by the attractive powers of its own particles. This,
in turn, would be buried by the deluge of sand, and
this again by mud and dark-colored sediment, that now
constitute the sand-rock and shale.

In some other revolution the superincumbent- ma8$

266 WELLS WILL GO DEY.

would be broken, and contorted, and upheaved until the
vast caverns were provided as the retorts and tanks of
the great Disposer ; the fires commenced their operation,
and the oil and gas began their upward journey. Now
these fires have not yet been extinguished. They will
continue until the period when ** the elements will melt
with fervent heat," and when "the earth also and the works
that are therein shall be burned up." We have no
reason to think that the supplies for its production have
been exhausted, and may then reasonably infer that the
process of manufacture is still going on, and that it
cannot be exhausted.

But in the face of all these theories the question is
asked: — "Do not wells become exhausted?" "Are there
not instances on record where wells have ceased their
supplies altogether, and is not this an indication that all
will do so?" Wells do cease to flow, and those that
have been worked by means of the pump have also be-
come quiet, and ceased their supply. But this is. no
indication that all will do so. We find many trees in
the forest that are dead, but that is no indication that
the forests are decaying, and will soon die out. We find
coal veins sometimes suddenly running out. The miner
will find a " fault," as he terms it, when instead of coal
he will find nothing but a bank of earth, or perhaps solid
rock. But this does not discourage him. He mines
through the earth or rock, and finds a new vein of coal
as rich as the first. And it may reasonably be supposed
that there are "faults" in oil veins. One vein may be
exhausted, or one cavity may be drained that may re-
quire long years to fill up, as the veins of supply may be
exceedingly small. But there may be others in the

NEW WELLS WILL BE OPENED. 267

Bame neighborhood as rich as the first, that require only
to be pierced to obtain a new supply.

But wells may cease their supply from other causes
than simple exhaustion. The supply may proceed from
a long, thin crevice, and this crevice may become closed
by mechanical means. Sometimes there are presented
thin scales of paraffine, indicating the presence of this
substance in the well ; this paraflSne may gradually ad-
here to the opening in the crevice until it becomes her-
metically sealed up. Or the same result may be accom-
plished by the settling down of sand and earthy particles
from the side of the well. Sometimes when a well ceases
its supply it can be resuscitated by boring deeper, but
not always. The very operation of boring sometimes
fills up the crevices more firmly than ever by pounding
and forcing particles of sand and mud into them beyond
the hope of relief.

The mere fact, then, that individual wells occasionally
cease their supply is not evidence that the general
supply is either failing now, or is in any danger of
ultimate failure. The same failures occur at times ia
wells of water for domestic use, in coal mines, and in
beds of iron ore. It is more particularly true in regard
to the mines of silver and gold, and cinnabar in our
new States. Yet these occasional failures are not re-
garded as evidence of any decline in the business.
When a water well gives out it is dug deeper, or a new
well provided. When a vein of coal or iron ceases to
yield, through a "fault," the work is continued until a
new vein is opened, and in regard to the precious metals,
when a leader gives out, it is sought in a new place. And
this doubtless will be the case in the oil business. Wells
will fail, sometimes to be resuscitated, at others to be

268 SUPPLY OP OIL VARIABLE.

abandoned. New wells will be opened in the same
neighborhood with abandoned wells, better than the
former ones, and so the supply will be kept up from time
to time, with greater or less constancy.

The region of oil producing land will no doubt
be much extended. Profitable development on the
Allegheny, Oil and French creeks will stimulate the
matter of prospecting in other parts of this and other
counties and States, resulting in the discovery of other
deposits, that will assist in keeping up the supply, and
meeting the increasing demand that is springing up in
all portions of the world.

It is not at all unlikely that the annual supply may
vary from year to year. This has been the case already.
During particular years when vast numbers of flowing
wells were opened the supply was immensely increased ;
and when these decreased, and resort was had to pump-
ing, the aggregate supply was materially reduced. This
may be the case in the future. Peculiar causes may
induce a large amount of exploration that may result in
large additions to the stock of oil produced, and, on the
other hand, different causes may lead to a different state
of things ; attention directed to other branches of busi-
ness, and for a time neglect of this ; but the general result,
no doubt, will be that the supply of petroleum will be
kept up while there is need of artificial light to carry on
the operations of life, whilst any of the purposes to which
it is now applied remain to be fulfilled, and until the
present organization of society and the world shall have
been finally changed. To go upon any other supposition
would be to suppose that the course of nature, and the
operations of Providence would be changed, and God's
wisdom and power cease to be adequate to the supply

SMALL IN THE BEGINNING, 269

CHAPTER XXII.

GEOWTH OP THE OIL BUSINESS.

The history of the growth and expansion of this trade
is the most remarkable in all the operations of men. At '
first, as we have had occasion to notice, it was small
and almost contemptible. Considered simply as a drng,
valuable, but of little importance in trade, very little
attention was paid to it. It was considered a curious
product, a lusus natures almost, but no one imagined that
it would ever assume proportions so gigantic as those
that characterize it at the present time. First a few
bottles would find their way out of the immediate
neighborhood where it was produced. Then a quantity
somewhat larger, but sold in the shops under a fictitious
and foreign name, as though the adage " a prophet is not
without honor, save in his own country " was applicable to
the productions of the earth. In the course of half a cen-
tury after the settlement of the oil valleys by civilized
people, it had not gained a particle either in the way
of appreciation or pecuniary value. The difficulty of
forcing itself upon the market seemed as great as that
of forcing its way up through the rocks. But both ends
seem very readily attained at the present time.

Previous to the year 1859 hardly a barrel of petroleum
found its way to market, but during that year the great
23*

270 HOME CONSUMPTIOK.

highways of trade were opened to receive it. The man-
ufacture of oil from coal had been the means of prepar-
ing the way for its advent. The matter of refining and
deodorizing coal oil was brought to bear on the new
article so suddenly thrust upon public attention, and at
once the demand was constant and permanent. So it
has continued to be until the present time, with the ex-
ception of a short period when the flowing wells seemed
likely to deluge the land with oil at a merely nominal
price.

Perhaps, at the present time, there is not more oil
produced than two years ago. But withal the business
is growing. The product then was in excess from causes
already stated; now it is steady and regular, not in
excess of the demand, and in every respect healthy and
prosperous.

It now occupies a very large place in home consump-
tion. From the various uses to which it is applied, and
which are multiplying from year to year, the demand has
been steadily increasing. The demand comes, from every
State and Territory of the Union, except those whose
markets have been closed during the. stern arbitrament
of war; and now this is ended, there will soon be
a new source of demand, and a new field to supply. At
first it was regarded simply as an illuminator, now it is
wanted for very many other purposes, and next year
perhaps it will be applied to many purposes not even
imagined at the present time. And just in proportion
to the number and magnitude of the uses to which it is
applied will the demand increase provided the sources
of supply are kept up.

From the best information that is at hand the con-
sumption in our own land during the year 1864, must

INCREASE OF EXPORTS. 271

have been one million two hundred thousand barrels.
The principal portion of this was refined, and used as an
illuminator, the remaining portions in the various arts
and practical operations of life.

The growth of the export trade has been steady and
regular. At first it was difl&cult to introduce petroleum
to the notice of Englishmen. A cask of the article at
Liverpool was clothed with almost as many terrors as a
supposed infernal machine. But the English are a prac-
tical people, and understand their own interests as well
as any other nation, consequently they soon began to
value the American production in something like its'
true light. Next to England, France appears to appre-
ciate the new commodity, as certified by her imports,
reaching during the year 1864, the amount of four mil-
lions six hundred thousand gallons.

The following table will be interesting and instructive,
as exhibiting not only the growth of the trade, but the
universality of the use of petroleum throughout the
civilized world. The exports from New York alone are
given to their difierent points of destination ; from the
other points the destination is not given; probably no
new points are embraced in the shipments from these

ports.

1863. 1864.

Feom New York Gallons. Galloits.,

To Liverpool 2,156,851 734,755!

London 2,576,331 1,430,710

Glasgow, <kc 414,943 368,402

Bristol 71,912 29,134

Falmouth, E 623.176 316,402

Grangemouth, E„ •. 425,334

Cork, Ac 1,532.257 8,310,362

Bowling, E 87,164

272 STATISTICS OF EXPOBTS.

1863. 1864.

Fbom New York Gallons. Gallons.

To Havre 1,774,890 2,324,017

Marseilles 167,896 1,982,075

Cette 4,800

Dunkirk 232,803

Dieppe 46,000 79,581

Rouen 143,646

Antwerp. 2,692.974 4,149,821

Bremen 903,004 971,905

Amsterdam 436 77,041

Hamburgh 1,466,155 1,186,080

Rotterdam 757,249 522,926

Gottenburgh 33,813

Cronstadt 88,060 400,376

Cadiz and Malaga 33,284 55,674

Terragona and Alicanti 33,000 16,823

Barcelona 25,500

Gibraltar 308.450 69,181

Oporto 2,339 17,474

Palermo 57,115 7,983

Genoa and Leghorn 399,674 635,121

Trieste '.... 3,000 165,174

Alexandria, Egypt 4,000

Lisbon 64,662 167,195

Canary Islands 5,125 3,358

Madeira 400

Bilboa 2,500

China and East Indies 36,942 34,388

Africa 12,230 25,195

Australia 304,166 377,884

Otago, New Zealand 5,500 10,810

Sydney, New South Wales 43,012 97,880

Brazil 160,152 140,677

Mexico 69,451 112,986

Cuba. 356,436 418,934

Argentine Republic 24,470 28,260

Cisalpine Republic 117,626 78,552

STATISTICS OF EXPOETS. 273

1863. 1864.

Feom New Yoek Gallons. Gallons.

To Chili ^ 66,550 92,550

Peru 256,467 169,061

British Honduras ^ 440 6,072

•• Guiana 15,104 7,881

•• West Indies 60,931 70,976

" North American Colonies.... 16.995 28,902

Danish West Indies 31,503 8,463

Dutch " " 12,143 26,638

French " " 9,104 16,020

Hayti 12,064 7,088

Central America 456 993

Venezuela 15,405 29,583

New Grenada 107.837 67,490

Porto Rico 59,439 20,626

Total gallons , 18,542,586 26,281,059

The following was shipped from other ports during

the same years : —

1863. 1864.

Gallons. Gallons.

From Boston 2,049,431 1,696,308

Philadelphia 5,595,738 7.760,148

Baltimore 715,896 929.671

Portland 342,082 70,672

Total 8,703,147 10,456,799

Add New York export 18.542,586 26,281,059

Total export from United States 27.445,733 36,737,858

Same in 1862 10,887,701 gallons.

From this table we see the dispersion of the trade.

Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America, as well as
Islands in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, come
in for a share of the exports, and, as it has just been

274 CAPITAL INVESTED.

introduced into many of these places, the hope is not an
unreasonable one, that, as its value becomes known, there
will be a largely increased demand from year to year as
long as the supply continues. In most of the places
enumerated in the table petroleum was unknown four
years ago, except perhaps as a medical agent, or as a
natural curiosity. In 1861 forty casks were sent to
France as a curiosity ; the next year some four thousand
casks were sent there by way of experiment, now this
country competes with England in her demand. The
foreign demand for illuminating purposes alone would be
very great in a short time, but as new discoveries are
made, and new uses developed for the product a very
rapid increase in the demand may readily be expected,
that can only be qualified by two considerations, to wit,
large discoveries in foreign countries, or a large falling
off in our own country.

As to the former, the idea is not an extravagant one
that the same means being employed, and the same ener-
gy put forth that are brought to bear in the development
of the trade here, there may be like success. Still, we
are not sufficiently acquainted with the geological fea-
tures of foreign countries, where this product manifests
itself, to arrive at any opinion in the matter. As to the
other modifying condition, the falling off in the supply
from the oil region in this country, there is no ground to
indulge in fear ; on the contrary, every indication points
to a large extension in the sources of supply.

During the past year new capital has been seeking in-
vestment in the oil region to an extent absolutely as-
tounding. The very circumstances of the country are
favorable to the growth of the trade. Capital is abun-
dant. Hopes of increase are large, and the petra|||am

EXPLOEATION STIMULATED. 275

land seems the land of promise. Lands that were valued
at thousands a few years ago are now valued at millions.
Capital that was formerly seeking investment in railroad
stocks, gold and silver stocks, iron and coal stocks, is now
rushing tumultuously into the oil valleys, finding em-
ployment there, with a fair show of success. It is en-
tirely safe to put down the capital connected with the
petroleum business in the United States at four hundred
and fifty millions of dollars. Of this more than one half
is connected with Venango county.

Now, as a very large amount of capital has been in-
vested in oil lands, or lands supposed to overlie oil, and
this supplemented by other capital set apart for the de-
velopment of these lands, the supposition is a reasonable
one, that a large amount of valuable oil lands will be
rendered productive in the course of the current year.
The same energy that has characterized the past, and
that has been attended with so much success, will be
brought to bear in the development of these new lands,
and will, no doubt, be attended with similar success.

Nor is the idea a correct one, that these new lands are
probably worthless. No doubt many portions of them are.
But, as explorations proceed in new portions of Venango
county, on the tributaries of the streams where operations
have hitherto been carried forward, they have been at-
tended by the most gratifying success. In many places
the new territory has rivalled if not excelled the old.
And just in proportion as the field is widening, and
capital increasing, will the trade increase, until, at no
distant day, it will surpass in magnitude and importance
any other branch of trade in the whole land. It is al-
ready pressing hard upon the iron and coal interests. It
will soon overleap in importance the gold and silver pro-

276 PETEOLEUM TEADE UNPARALLELED.

ducts of the western States and territories, and the entire
yield of cotton in the southern States in their most palmy
days.

The business is in a more flourishing condtion now than
it has ever been before ; new capital is entering into its
development, and parties engaged in it are quite satis-
fied with its progress. There are, of course, drawbacks
and discouragements; these belong necessarily to all en-
terprises ; but the general features of the entire business
are most encouraging and promising; and, unless all rs^
tional indications usually manifested in the progress and
development of trade should fail, the petroleum business
has before it a grand and brilliant future.

CHAPTER XXIII.

PRESENT ASPECT AND IMPORTANCE.

The petroleum trade is singular and unparalleled in
the world's history. Like Minerva, in Grecian fable,
springing mature and full-armed from the brain of Ju-
piter, it has sprung in almost mature strength and vigor
from the earth's bosom. It has worn no swaddling bands.
It has required no gentle nurture, no fostering care, to
enable it to eke out an existence until time should give
it strength and harden its muscle, but has leaped at once
into the arena of the world's traffic, and is now the peer,
if not the superior, of all other branches of trade. In
less than one year from the moment of its inception, it

FLOURISHING CONDITION. 277

Las fairly eclipsed the whale fishery, gray with time, and
strong through the energy and vigor with which it has
been prosecuted. And who can measure its extent in
the future, since it can only be limited by the sources of
the supply flowing in the depths of the laboratories of
the Great Chemist ? No doubt the stores of earth and
the supplies of time are all limited, but it is only by the
wants of His creatures, and not by the power of the Al-
mighty. If earth, on its surface, " bringeth forth herbs
meet for them by whom it is dressed," we can have as
little doubt that deep in its bosom there is an exhaust-
less supply of minerals, to neutralize its cold, to dissipate
its darkness, and to contribute in various ways to the
comfort and enjoyment of its inhabitants. And among
these gifts and resources petroleum stands forth in the
front rank. It is God's greatest gift of the nineteenth
century.

The trade is flourishing as no trade ever did before. A
few years ago petroleum was not found in the price lists
of the market. A few years after it was first begun to
be developed it was with fear and trembling that capi-
talists embarked in its operations ; now it ifi quoted as
regularly as gold. It is found on the stock board — nay,
it has a stock exchange of its own, a thing that cannot be
said of any one other article of trade. It is attracting
more attention and interest than all other branches of
trade or commerce. Men of science, and lovers of nature,
and explorers of her hidden resources and mysterious
laws, are giving it their attention, and contributing the
results of their knowledge toward its development. Capi-
talists are investing their funds with unsparing measure
in prosecuting its details, and the very nation, torn and
bleeding and suffering, looks to it as the great resource
24

278 mroBTANCE to manufactures.

from which it is to draw its recuperative energy now
that the war has drawn to a close. As yet there is not
a circumstance to indicate that the resources of the trade
are in the slightest danger of lessening, much less of
drying up. Its appearance is that of a vigorous young
tree, luxuriously covered with leaves and blossoms, and
full of promise for the future.

The influence of petroleum on general trade can hardly
be overestimated. With all due allowance for inflation
and over-trading, and undue extension of business, its
effect has been most salutary and beneficent upon the
general interests of trade throughout the country. In
these peculiar times it has supplied a field for the em-
ployment of capital that has had a kindly influence in
all our business affairs.

Its importance to the manufacturing interests of the
country is very great. New branches of mechanical busi-
ness have been called into existence, and all branches
stimulated to new life and energy. In the matter of
"driving pipe" alone, an idea may be formed of the de-
mand, when it is remembered that in the prosecution of
a single well from one to three tons of metal pipe are
driven in reaching the rock preparatory to boring ; and
although there are regions along the Allegheny where
but little pipe is necessary, the rock lying near the
surface, yet in other places it is so deep that one hun-
dred feet are sometimes driven, at an expense of seme
seven dollars per foot.

Boring implements, too, have called for a vast amount
of labor and material. A complete set of these is fur-
nished at about three hundred and twenty-five dollars,
and when it is remembered that the wells are numbered
by thousands, each company having, as a general thing/

lEON MANUFACTUEES. 279

a set for each well that is bored, the capital invested in
these alone is not by any means small.

Steam engines are as numerous in the oil regions as
cooking stoves in the kitchens. They are of various
kinds, and as many forms as Proteus had shapes. There
are several thousand now in active operation in Venango
county, and hundreds are arriving every week. These en-
gines are manufactured in various parts of the country —
in Pennsylvania, New York, New England and Ohio,
and in their construction a vast amount of material is
required, and a great number of workmen employed.

The manufacture of *' chamber," or ** tubing," is an impor-
tant item in the manufacturing interests of the country.
Each well requires from four to six hundred feet of
chamber, at a cost of from one to two and a half dollars
per foot. Cable and rope for boring and sand-pump
attachment must also be taken into the account, with
other items that swell the amount of mechanical business
pertaining to the mere matter of putting an oil well
into operation, to a very large amount.

But there are other matters outside of the mere. matter
of boring and pumping that must be taken into the
account. Some of these matters are new, others are the
expansion of branches of business that are already in
successful operation. In the manufacture of lamps and
glassware connected with lamps, there is a very large
amount of capital invested, and a great number of
laborers employed. In the city of Pittsburgh there are
five establishments engaged exclusively in the manufac-
ture of lamp chimneys, turning out four thousand dozen
weekly. There are also eight establishments engaged
chiefly in the manufacture of lamps, and two others give
their entire attention to this branch of the business.

280 MANUPACTURK OF BARBELS.

These factories employ from one to two thousand work-
men, and embrace a capital of about half a million of
dollars. This business has sprung up too within the last
three or four years,

The business of refining and preparing lubricating oil
is one of immense extent. The former requires exten-
sive and costly machinery and fixtures, with large quan-
tities of expensive chemicals, the production of which
gives employment to workmen in all portions of the
country. Venango county alone has within its limit
from ninety to one hundred refineries, with an aggregate
capital of one million dollars. These refineries are
springing up in other portions of this, as well as in
various portions of the neighboring States.

The manufacture of barrels is a large item connected
with the business aflPairs of the country. At the incep-
tion of the trade these were generally manufactured by
hand, and in the old orthodox manner of country barrels,
laboriously shaved from prime oak timber, and hooped
with hickory hoops. But the demand was too greats
and prices too remunerative for this business to remain
in the old paths. Native energy was put forth, and new
plans adopted. Good timber was becoming scarce in
many parts of the country. Kesort was had to the use
of machinery, bringing into use a poorer quality of
timber, and producing barrels with great facility and
dispatch. In some factories the staves are sawed out to
the proper shape and put together after being kiln-dried,
hooped with iron, tested with the air-pump, and sent to
the oil wells in large quantities. This brings the timber
lands into higher estimation than they were held before,
furnishes labor to farmers during the winter season in cut-
ting and hauling timber, to workmen in the ban-el ho-

EAILEOADS— LABOE. 281

factories, and makes a demand for labor generally
throughout the oil country. But this matter is not con-
fined to the oil region. Barrels are brought in large
numbers from a distance. They are floated down the
Allegheny river from the State of New York, and
brought up the river from Pittsburgh below. They are
brought from Ohio by teams, and from every direction
producers are certain of a market at remunerative prices.
For refined oil a rather better class of barrels is required,
as the wastage is of more importance. These barrels
are usually coated on the inner surface with a prepara-
tion of glue, or some other substance that will resist the
action of the oil.

Railroads have been constructed for the accommoda-
tion of this business alone. Along the valleys of Oil
creek, French creek, and portions of the Allegheny,
where the citizens never dreamed of seeing a locomotive
or hearing its wild scream, these have become familiar
sights and sounds. On all the roads that have been con-
structed in the oil region, the trains are crowded both
with freight and passengers. Rolling stock cannot be
procured in sufficient quantity, the crossings are clogged
up, and the freight depots crowded to their utmost
capacity. And from present indications and future
prospects, the freighting business may be enlarged almost
indefinitely. Measures are already on foot for enlarging
greatly these railroad accommodations in various direc-
tions.

Employment is furnished to vast numbers of teams in
the oil country. From the region of Oil creek and the
Allegheny alone, perhaps over one thousand horses are
at all times busily employed. These teams draw the oil
from the wells to the refiners, to the railroad depots, and
24*

282 ADVANTAGE TO TTEKAITOO FAEMEES.

to the steamboat landings. The usual order is to load
with empty barrels, or " emptys," as the oil men call
them, at the depot, proceed to the wells, and return with
a load of oil. In many cases there is an economical im-
provement on this plan. In leaving Franklin the team-
sters purchase a load of coal from the coal men, who are
thronging the streets with their wagons, place their
" empty s " upon the top of this, and proceed to the oil
wells. Here they dispose of their coal at a handsome
profit, and re-load with oil.

This is a matter of considerable importance to the
farmers in Venango county. They are near the scene of
labor, can often furnish their own subsistence for their
teams, and make a clear profit of the greater portion of
the receipts; and, in addition, can choose their own
time for active efibrt, and be on their farms when their
presence is required there. Still the labor is not a
pleasant one. Clothes saturated with oil, wagons broken
and dismembered, harness and horses wearing out
rapidly, and a general condition of dilapidation and
decay belongs to the business. If the teamster receives
good wages, his experience is not different from that of
others, that there is another side to the account that
must be considered in balancing the ledger.

Still the discomforts in this business are not greater
than in many other fields of labor, and it is perhaps
more remunerative. And this labor is of various kinds.
A great number of men are employed at the oil wells, in
the active operations of boring and pumping. Laborers
are required at the depots, in the cities, and around the
wharves. A mighty army is engaged in all the pro-
cesses of manufacturing the oil, and in preparing ma-
chinery for the various operations connected with it.

INPLUElirCE ON THE WHALE TISHEBY. 283

Its influence is felt in every State and Territory of the
Union, and in all the walks of life, in the matter of
labor ; for, although it seems at first view, as we look at
a flowing well that but little labor is necessary, yet as we
follow its history from the time preparation is made for
boring until the oil is consumed, we will see that a vast
amount of labor is connected with it.

Its influence in the Ocean trade has been felt perhaps
in two ways. First, in lessening the amount and import-
ance of the whale fishery; second, in building up and
enlarging a trade in carrying petroleum to foreign ports.
The whale fishery has certainly declined rapidly during
the last four or five years -, yet it is probable this is due in
part at least to causes outside of the oil business. From
constant pursuit the whales had been driven to high
Northern latitudes, as well as decreased in numbers, so
that of late years the same success had not attended the
efibrts of the whaling fleet, that had characterized it in
former years. " The diminution of the whaling fleet,"
says the New Bedford Standard, " has continued the past
year, but the decrease is small compared with previous
years, and we hope has now reached its minimum. The
decrease for the year has been twenty-eight vessels, with
a tonnage of eight thousand eight hundred and seventy-
two. In 1846 the tonnage engaged in this fishery was
two hundred and thirty-two thousand two hundred
and eighteen; now it is only fifty-nine thousand nine
hundred and two. In 1843 sperm oil sold for sixty-
three cents per gallon, in 1864 for one dollar and ninety-
two cents. In 1831 whale oil sold for thirty and a half
cents ; now it sells for one dollar and twenty-eight cents.
In 1841 whale-bone sold for nineteen cents per pound;
now it sells for onejdollar and eighty-two cents.'*

284 INFLUENCE AT HOME.

There can be no doubt, however, that apart from
the scarcity of fish, the influence of the petroleum dis-
coveries has affected the whale oil trade, by bringing
into competition with it a fluid that answers a better
purpose in many respects, and is afforded at a much
lower price. In fact, many of the old whalemen have
thrown aside the tarpaulin and harpoon, and have en-
tered upon the business of selecting sites and locating
wells with as much avidity as ever they pursued the
monsters of the deep ; and have expressed themselves
as well pleased with the exchange both as regards com-
fort in pursuit, and profit in the final result. And
although the amount of tonnage employed in the petro-
leum trade may never equal that formerly engaged in
the whale fishery, yet that which is employed will un-
doubtedly accomplish more; as a whale ship was often
from twenty months to three years in bringing a cargo
into port, while a petroleum ship would make a voyage
to Europe and return in a few weeks.

The influence of this trade is felt at home. Not
only are the comforts of its production felt in the imme-
diate region of the oil valleys, but in every nook and
corner of our wide land. The lamp filled with petro-
leum is found burning in every cottage and log cabin
from the Atlantic coast to the Pacific. By its grateful
light the humble artizan and the poor sewing-woman
carry on their toilsome avocations, grateful for the illu-
minating powers, and the comparative cheapness of this
providential gift. And in every part of the land, energy
has been quickened, industry stimulated, and genius and
talent 'called out in the various processes that pertain to
developing wells, producing oil, and extracting from it
the various substances that add to the comforts and

THE OIL MAN. 286

enjoyment of society. Even in the dreary season of
winter the frost and snow have interposed no barrier
to its production. Eager crowds throng the public con-
veyances that move to and from the oil valleys. The
streets and hotels in the oil region are full to overflow-
ing, and. the bustle and stir surpass that of California in
its most palmy days. Earnest, eager looking men are
seen everywhere with the peculiar appearance that char-
acterizes the " oil man;*' short coat of peculiar out, waist
extravagantly long, and skirt infinitessimally short;
smallest possible hat; tall boots, with little appearance
of pantaloons ; bundle of papers in breast pocket, and
sectional map in hand supposed to represent " valuable
oil territory," from which a fortune is to be extracted
either by pumping it from the earth, or by selling it to
■some other aspirant for the favors of fickle fortune.
But fortune is not supposed to be fickle in these regions.
She is supposed to have taken the bandage from her
eyes, and to be gracious to all comers, rewarding all who
approach her in the oil garb with untold wealth ; regard-
less of the experience of multitudes who walked these
valleys three or four years ago, and have left their der-
ricks behind them as monuments of their disappointed
hopes.

Its importance is seen in the altered condition of very
many in the oil region and beyond who have come within
the^ sphere of its influence. Many have become suddenly
and immensely wealthy, who were formerly in very
straitened circumstances. Plain farmers have become
millionaires ; men whose incomes were half a dollar per
day a few years ago now have an income of five thou-
sand per day. Still in very few instances has this sudden
wealth appeared to have an injurious influence upon its

236 INFLUENCE ABROAD.

possessor. In a very few cases it has dazzled, and
blinded, and blighted all the better feelings of the heart,
but generally it has not, apparently at least, led to dissi-
pation, vice, and ruin. On the contrary, in very many
noble instances it has had a happy effect in inducing to
benevolent works, to acts of kindness, and to labors of
love and sympathy. ^

In other lands the influence of this trade has been
very great. It is bidding fair to revolutionize the habits,
and change the associations of the people as it has
already done here. The old tallow candle, and the well
nigh fossilized oil lamp, will soon disappear as the petro-
leum lamp is introduced, and throws them into the
shadow. The statistics connected with the exportation
of petroleum indicate, in some degree, the estimate that
is placed on this commodity in almost every country in
Europe, Asia, and South America. And there can be
no question but that in proportion as its value becomes
known abroad the demand for it will increase in a regular
ratio. It may, however, be discovered in many countries
where it is now imported, still the geological features of
many of the principal points of export would naturally
preclude the idea of its discovery or production.

The influence of the export trade is felt in a marked
degree in regulating the balance of trade with foreign
countries. Our imports, either from necessity or choice,
are very large, especially from England and France.
During the past year, 1864, there were exported to Eng-
land upwards of eleven and a quarter millions of gallons
and to France over four and a half millions of gallons,
affording this country advantage to this amount over our
exports of other • commodities during previous years, or
before this trade commenced. This influence has been

NATIONAL BELIEF. ^ 287

most beneficial to our trade during the disturbance in our
pecuniary affairs for the last few years, and we may rea-
sonably 'fexpect that for years to come we may depend
upon petroleum to supplement our other exports and
thus prevent the drainage of the precious metals fron\.
our coffers.

A wise and benignant Providence is hereby providing
for our national affliction. When any part of the body
is wounded or receives injury, nature appears to turn all
her resources to the healing of the woutid, and the
recovery from the injury. New resources even, are
opened up exactly adapted to meet the emergency and
to obviate the difficulty. The flesh is no sooner cut or
bruised than the body begins to secrete a substance that
tends to heal the cut, or throw off the damaged flesh
preparatory to the healing process. So it has been in
our National history during the past four or five years.
A gigantic war has been crippling the energies of the
people, and taxing to its utmost all the resources of the
nation. The country has been torn, and although not
prostrate, trembles under its exertion, and bleeds under
its wounds. The rock opens its bosom, and rivers of oil
are poured forth in the very time of our sore visitation.
To the reflecting eye God's hand is as visible here as it
was when Moses smote the rock in the wilderness to save
Israel from dying with thirst. The rod of the Hebrew
prophet smote the rock, yet it was Providence that fur-
nished the supply; and now althouglf multitudes of
eager men are smiting the rocks, many of them careless
of the operations of his Providence, yet it is the same
unseen, beneficent hand that brings the oil from its secret
cavities, that brought the water to Israel in the time of
sore need. And this oil in its proceeds finds its way, by

288 LARGE TAX RETURNS.

numerous channels, into the public treasury. Sometimes
it is in the form of direct tax upon the oil itself, some-
times in tax on incomes, and very largely in stamps,
that are used in all the transactions connected with the
business.

The tax on refined oil is at present eight dollars per
barrel, or twenty cents per gallon. Some of our refiners
are paying, when in full operation, from twelve to fifteen
hundred dollars per day, bringing an aggregate of about
one million of dollars into the national treasury. The
present tax on crude oil will yield some two millions
more. Transactions in leases and purchases are, and
have been, very heavy in Venango county. The busi-
ness in the registry office has become enormous, occupy-
ing generally some nine or ten clerks, and these scarcely
able to keep abreast of the business. ' On some of these,
stamps to the amount of twelve hundred dollars have
been placed, and on smaller transactions innumerable,
that never resulted in any thing to those engaged in
them, such as articles of agreement, ** refusals," and such
like, stamps of greater or less value have been placed.

In many portions of the oil territory, as well as
in other places where fortunes have been amassed
through the oil business, the income tax has been enor-
mous even under the modest returns that are too often
rendered to the officials appointed to receive them. And
these taxes are increasing rather than diminishing. Nor
are they particularly burdensome to any class of the
community. As far as the tax on refined oil is concerned,
although it comes from the consumer, yet the article with
the tax is more satisfactory and economical than any
other illuminator that has been tested. Stamp taxes are
almost invariably paid by those who are able to pay

FTJTUEB PROSPECTS. 289

them without oppression, and income taxes belong only
to those who have an income enabling them to bear their
part in the common burden.

We cannot well conceive how the affairs of the Go-
vernment could have been carried on without this trea-
sure in the rock ; but we may adinire the medium of the
great Provider, in laying it by against our time of need,
and bringing it forth just at the proper time.

And since these troublous days are over, and the sword
is sheathed to rust away in its scabbard — since the storm
has ceased, the gale quieted, and we are called upon
to take an observation, and compute our latitude and
longitude, this very trade that is so flourishing in our
midst may be the means of guiding us safely into port.
We have a national debt that is already enormous — a
debt that may well frighten even cool heads and well-
balanced nerves, as it is contemplated in the future. But
with this trade growing strong in our midst, drawing our
resources from the earth with comparatively little ex-
pense, and sending it to the four quarters of the globe,
and to the islands of the ocean, and thus laying contri-
butions upon the nations of the earth, we may well ex-
pect to pay off our national debt, and still leave the
balance of trade in our favor.

Here, then, is the provision that Providence has made
for our time of great need. Here is the exertion that
kindly nature is putting forth to heal our wounds and to
restore the injuries that we are receiving in this the time
of our nation's awful peril.

The history of the oil region would not be completed

without a brief reference to the great flood of March,

1865. This deluge, unexampled in modern times, was

attended by great disaster and loss of property through?-

26

290 FLOOD OF 1865.

out the entire oil country. It was the result of a rapid
melting of snow, accompanied by a heavy rain. The
snow had fallen in considerable quantities at the head
waters of the Allegheny and French creek, as well as of
the smaller tributaries that pertain to these streams. Onr
the 16th of March the rain poured down in torrents
nearly the whole day. It was not the ordinary, gradual
rain of the spring time, but seemed at times as though
the clouds were rent asunder, and the water was precipi-
tated in sheets upon the earth. The waters of French
creek and the Allegheny began to rise on the afternoon
of that day, but no particular damage was anticipated.
. But the floods arose during the night with frightful ra-
pidity, and families near the streams found their dwell-
ings invaded, and were obliged to seek a shelter higher
up the banks.

On the morning of the 17th the view of French creek
and the Allegheny was absolutely frightful. The current
was sweeping wildly beyond its usual banks, bearing the
evidence of devastation and ruin upon its bosom. Espe-
cially was this the case on the Allegheny. It seemed as
though the entire oil region must be a scene of ruin.
Houses, engine shanties, derricks, oil tanks, bull-wheels,
barrels, all in dire confusion, where whirling down the
current. Lumber, staves, farming and teaming utensils,
all assisted in swelling the mighty tide of destruction.
Some fifty houses passed down in the course of the fore-
noon, some of them rude cabins, and others with shingled
roofs. The whole bosom of the river was thickly dotted
with oil barrels, some of them filled, but more empty
during the space of twelve or fifteen hours. Even the
heavy portable engines were removed from their position,
forced into the river, and swept downwards by the resist-

^

GREAT DEVASTATION. 291

less current. A few of the houses were swept away
during the night, and the tenants were awaked to find
themselves tossed about, the sport of the wild waters.
These were generally removed by means of boats, al-
though there was some loss of life.

The lower bridge at Franklin, that spans French creek,
was lifted from its piers in two sections, and borne down
to be dashed against the suspension bridge across the
Allegheny. The recoil was dreadful, yet, although the
frame and roof of the floating structure were dashed to
fragments, the damage to the suspension bridge was but
trifling. The Oil Creek bridge came down almost entire,
and passed under the suspension without interference.
Sugar Creek bridge also came down early in the day or
morning.

The entire valleys of many of the streams were swept
clear of everything pertaining to oil operations — engines,
derricks, tanks filled with oil, barrels empty and filled,
houses, offices, all were completely swept away, leaving
scarcely a trace behind.

Oil City was completely inundated. The principal
street was covered with water to the depth of several
feet. Families retreated up the steep bank, and fires
were kindled to secure comfort during the night and part
of the day.

Franklin did not suffer so much, being situated on
higher ground. Still, the street nearest to the creek and
river was completely inundated, and some families were
removed from their dwellings in boats.

The probabilities are, that such a flood was never
known in these valleys before. Citizens who have re-
sided here nearly seventy years testify that during that
period no such flood has been experienced, that of 1806

292 BUSINESS BEVI.VING.

not reaching to anything like the dimensions of the
present.

The railroad was swept away, and the damage sus-
tained in the oil operations of the county can only be
computed when the flood has completely subsided, and a
careful survey taken of the field. When fully summed
up it will reach the amount of many millions of dollars.
Besides the actual loss of oil and machinery, the proba-
bilities are that the wells themselves have suffered severe-
ly from filling up with sand and mud, causing great delay
in resuming operations, and, probably, fatal damage
through the filling up of the smaller oil veins.

There is a lull in the rush and hurry of business, yet
it will be but temporary, and, perhaps, the activity will
increase from the temporary suspension. Still gloom
rests upon many hearts as they see the labor of months
swept away in a single night. Yet such an inundation
may not occur again during the next century, and the
probabilities are, that business will go on as before on
the islands and low grounds, wherever a site can be
found or an oil well located, and take the risks of the
rain and snow and floods.

ooiroLUDiHa thoughts. S9S

CHAPTER XXIV.

OONOLUDINa THOUGHTS.

In reviewing the great blessings that have come to us
in these last days, \v e should remember that the trea-
sures of the earth belong to the Lord. Even the small
things of earth are great in His sight, who takes in all
things at a glance. Th« same hand that decks the hea-
vens with their gorgeous jewelry, pamts the wing of the
little insect that is crushed beneath the tread of the way-
farer, and that at best runs its brief race in a day. The
same ear listens alike to the sparrow's morning song, and
to the mighty peal of angelic harps that is eternally
echoing from the " sea of glass," spread out around the
eternal throne. So the same hand that at first scooped
out the channel for the ocean's bed, and reared up the
mighty, rock-ribbed mountains of earth, made the earth's
bosom the repository for the minerals necessary to man's
comfort, and cut out through secret channels in the living
rock a pathway for the oil, that he might have where-
with to supply the demands of science, of trade, of utility,
and even of luxury. The same wisdom is seen in the
small things as in the more important, as we estimate
them. If the firmament showeth His handiwork, we see
it in the germination of the grain, in the budding of the
blossom, in which is wrapped up the embiyo fruit,^ in
26*

294 CONCLUDING THOUGHTS.

the opening of the fountains of water, in the storing up
the minerals in their mines, and in burying in the flinty
rock the rich wealth of oil.

These gifts should be enjoyed with gratitude. If
wealth has come to us almost unsought, the great Giver
should be remembered with gratitude. A higher autho-
rity than that of earth has assured us that " every good
gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh
down from the Father of Lights, with whom there is no
variableness, neither shadow of turning." Neither hu-
man foresight, nor strong muscle, nor golden coins, nor
the perfection of machinery can claim the credit of this
vast wealth. Wisdom and power placed it in the rock,
and neither man's reason, nor wisdom, nor cunning could
reach it until the appointed time had arrived. . If it is
given freely, with little labor, the grounds of gratitude
are all the stronger that should influence the hearts of
the recipients of this rich bounty. It is mainly because
we will not hearken to Nature's persuasive voice within
us, but stifle its low, sweet accents, that we take God's
gifts as a matter of course, and enjoy them thankless, as
though our own hand had prepared them, and our own
heart devised them. If we would but listen to Nature's
teaching, and to God's earnest voice, every whisper that
Nature utters, and every precept of God's word, would
impress upon us lessons of gratitude and thankfulness.

These gifts should induce a liberal spirit. Men should
consider themselves but stewards of Heaven's rich boun-
ty, and the almoners of its gifts. If the great Benefactor
intrusts us with much. He will require much at our
hands. And it is a most blessed thing to be able to re-
lieve want, to urge onward the great enterprises of the
day, and to add our portion to the great Spiritual Tern-

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS. 295

pie that the Eternal God is erecting, and that he will,
ere long, make beautiful in the earth. Even in the mat-
ter of common benevolence " it is more blessed to give
than to receive.'*

" The quality of mercy is not strained :
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath ; it is twice bless'd ;
It blesses him that gives and him that takes ;
' Tis mightiest in the mightiest^ it becomes
The throned monarch better than his crown."

INDEX.

rAOB.
. 234
. HI
. 221
. 200
170

Acid in petroleum

Adjustment of engine .

iEsthetics

Allegheny river

Allegheny Valley railroad

Atlantic and Great Western RR.167

Ancient mention

Ancient extract

Ancient names

Ancient testimony

Ancient wells stiU prodactive

Auger stem

Babel, tower of
Babylon .
Barrels .
Base of hills .
Benehoof s run
Benzine .
Bissell, Greorge H.
Bit, breaking of
Bit, sharpening of
Blower .
Blood farm
Blood farm register
Boring tools .
Boring, mode of
Borins, expense of
BroaoQorns .
Brown & Mitchell
Brewer & Watson
Bulk-boats
Bull-wheel ,
Burmah wells
Burning well .
Bye-laws, how passed
Cable .
CUltiaI. Franklin Co

214
21
213
259
104
38

. 280

. 93

. 194

. 220
67, 72

. 119

. 114

. 136

. 188

. 189

. 102

. 97

. 124

. 162

. 198

. 198

. 163

. 101

. 41

. 150

. 241

, 101

. 33

Canal lock .

PAOB.
. 59

Cannel coal .

. 65

Capital represented

. 240

Capital invested .

. 275

CaxT

. 159

Carload. . .

. 169

Cases of conscience

. 134

Cartwright .

. 39

Caution as to stocks

. . 247

Cavities, how formed

. 255

Cavities, large, not tapp<

Jd . 256

Celeron .

. 16

Centre bit

. 102

Chart of distances

. 37

Chain gang
Change of bands
Chamber, copper

. 107

. 171

. 127

Chamber, iron

. 128

Chauvignerie .

. 20

Cherry run .

. 191

Cherry Tree run .

. 193

Chemicals

. 2^8

Choice of site .

. 84

Qamp .

. 106

Coal oil .

. 65,254

Coal deposits •

. 251

Coffin's testimony .
Coal inexhaustible ,

. 17

. 258

Collecting oil .

. 56

Coleman, J. H.

. 198

Colors from petroleum .

. 222

Comparative success
Companies

^90

Wis

Companies, worthless .

. 248

Companies, not charterec

1 . 76

Companies, aood work o

f . 76

Companies, difficult

iesof

. 77

INDEX.

297

Companies, large .

Companies, joint stock

Companies, number of stock

Constellation of wells

Conductor

Cooperstown .

Cornplanter .

Cornplanter run

Court, first

Creek and river bottoms

Culver, Hon. C. V,

Curiosity, public

Deer creek

Depth of wells in Franklin

Deodorizing .

Derrick .

Deepest well .

Devonian age .

Disinfectant .

Dividends

Diamond drill

Drake, Col. E. L.

Dream, of science

Dry diggings .

Dry wella

Driving pipe .

Du Caisne, Dr. ^

Egbert Brothers

Embalming .

English claim .

English fort .

Engine, portable

Erie Indians .

Evel^th & Bissell

Evans' well .

Ewing .

Excavation .

Exciting scene

Exportation .

Farmers wealthy

Faults .

Fire

First oil well .

First company in Franklin

First refinery in Franklin

First settlers .

Flat-boats

Flood, great .

Flowing wells

Flowing wells, influence of

Flowing wells, philosoohy of

Flowing wells, depth oi .

PAGE.

. 81
. 236
. 239
. 186
. 99
. 181
. 53
. 194
. 30
. 90
. 195
. 122
. 150
. 175
. 228
. 28
. 190

257, 265
. 215
. 247
. 125
. 65
. 250
, 186
. 77
99,278
. 217
. 298
. 40
. 15
. 19
. 110
. 12
. 67
. 174
. 198
. 99
. 165

271, 273
. 83
. 267
. 152
. 70
. 75
. 224
. 28
. 161

289,292

. 141

. 79

144

144

PAGE.

Flowing wells, history <»f

some ... 147, 148

Flowing wells, advantage of . 152
Flowing wells, permanent . 153
Flowing wells, closing of, dan- '

gerous .... 153
Fort Franklin ... 24
Fort English .... 19
Fort Michault ... 19
Fort Venango . . 17, 19
Franklin . . . 15,25
P'ranklin Canal Company . 22
Franklin and Jamestown E. B. 1 70

Franklin operations . .173
Freight by river . . . 160
French grapes ... 20
French claim .... 16
French creek ... 22, 179
French origin ... 49
Frenchman's story ... 22
Frost, great . . • . 35

Fuel 140

Fuel, petroleum as • • 219
Fuel, for steamers • • • 218
Gas ..... 117
Gas tongs . • . .128
Gas pipe .... 136
Gas as fuel . • • • 140
Gas from petroleum • . 219
Great northern oil company . 234
Gallissioniere. • • . 16
Gold fields .... 43
Gratitude . . . .294
Halderman, Dr. . . . 198
Hardships .... 29
Hays, General S. . . 25, 29
Hazel rod . . . .89
Hemlock creek . . . 204
Hendrick lubricator . 234, 235
Henry farm .... 204
High lands .... 92
History mysterious , . 47
History of oil wells . 147, 148
Hickory creeks . , . 205
Home consumption • . 270
Horse creek .... 201
Horse power .... 108
Humboldt . . .42,260
Illuminator .... 211
Important articles unfailing . 261
Indian origin . . ., 50
Indian god .... 14

298

INDEX.

TAO&;

Indian traditions • • 19B, 209
Intermittent wells • • .154^
Iron business • . • SO* 3;)
Irrawaddy .... 260

Islands 208

Jail, first .... 30
Jars . . . • • lOS

Kicking 107

Ladder floats. . . .16^

Lamps 279

Large companies • . ,81

Latonia 19G

Laws of Pennsylvania . 240, 242
Laws of New York . . 2.13

Layard 40

Leases 73

Liability of gtockbolders « 2i2
Liberality .... 204
Loss of life .... 151
Lower Allegbfl ay ... 257
Low lands .... 90
Lubricator . • . .213
Lumber trade ... 35
Manufactures . • . 276
Mflrket, direction of . -170
McDowell, Colonel A. . .29
McClintockville . . .27
MtidiGfti Agent . . . '213
MiU creek . . . IBO

Mi^aioD to Tenango county . 20
Mode of workiDg . . . 112|
MtiHtcalm'a letter . . .52;
Mound buildei« • . » ^^|
Muddy oU .... 137;
Mud vein . . . .118.
National debt. . . . 280 1
Nature's mjrsteries. • '2*0;
Navy experiments . . . 218 1
Ocean trade . , . . 2S3
OU basin . . . . 209|
Oil City. . . . 2S. PJ5;
Oil collected .... 233;'
Oil companies . . * 1^"[
Oil creek .... 1S3
Oil creek, features of . , 1S5;
Oil creek, name . . • 1S4
Oil Creek railroad . . , 1B9
Oil excitement . • , 72[
Oil first shipped ... 57

Oil man 2135

Oil pits, ancient . . 15, <^iy

PAQB.

Oil, waste of .

•

. 149

Old cAHDon ,

.

. 23

Old garrison .

.

. 25

Olmstead, Dr. L. G.

,

. 41

Penn&ylTftnia Eock Oil Co.

. 68

Paleontology

251,

252,263

Patohell'e run

. 180

Petroleum, origin of

. 248

Petroleum Centre *

. 27

Petroleum, names of

. 38

Permanence of supply

. 258

phywieian young .

. 1

. 63

Pit Hole . .

55.92

Pluctiervilk .

. 192

Population of Venango county 27

Pond frejbftt .

. 164

Practical operation of

compa-

nies

,

. 244

Prentice, dark A Beely

. 198

Prefieat aspflct

. 276

President

. 204

Pripes of lands

. 82

Products ill refining

. 225

Propbet Wflngomen

. 20

Power .

. 106

Powers. George, anecdote of . 28

Pump barrel .... 130

Pumping * . 126

QuahtieB of oil , - . 257

Railroads . , . . 251

Eavines . « » . . 86

Reamer 108

Refld weU . . . .192

Refinfng, mode of . • . 226

Hefuesalfi 82

Regi>jter in bonng . . . 118

Register on Blood farm . . 189

Register on Allegheny . • 204

Region explofed ... 94

Regularity in pumping . • 135

Rods, bonne .... 102

Rock, bow formed . . . 254

Rock sampleij . , . • 204

Rope £0^ket . , . . 105

Rotten-stona .... 234

Rouee, H K 151

RonsevUle . . . 27,193

Salt well . : . . 58

Sand pump .... 113

Seed DdE . , . • 129

Si^paratiDg oil and vater . 139

F^hkro praetioQ ... 58

IKSEZ.

299

PAGE.

PAGB.

Show of oU • .

. 117

Tideoute.

, . . 206

Shippen well .

. 182

Tionesta.

. 205

Shrieve, Brough A Co.

. 198

Tin . . ,

, . . 262

Siddim .

. 33

Toradakoin .

. . . 21

Simonds, Joseph H. &
Silliman, Professor

X • 36

Tools, weight of

, . . 106

. 68

Tools, detached

. . . 120

Silliman's report •

. 228

Tools, fast in well '

. . . 120

Sinker bar

, . 105

Towns .

. 27

Six Nations .

. 13

Towns on Oil creek

. 197

Singular bulletin ,

. . 123

Trade, balance of ,

. 286

Soap . . .

, 216

Trade, growth of
Trade, the home

. 269

Spirits .

. 88

. . . 284

Spring-pole . •
Stamps « . •

. 106
. 288

Transportation
Trees in oil pits

. . . 159
. . . 48

Streams .

. . 27

Tubing .

. . 127

Steam engine .

. 108

Tubing, cost of

. . . 138

Sub-leasine ,
Sugar creek .

, . 75

Two-mile run

. \ .201

. 180

Upheaval

. 191

Sunday well .

. . 158

Uses of petroleum .

. . 210

Supply varies
Surface appearances

. 268

Utica .

. 180

. 85

Venango fort .

17, 19

Surrender of charter

. 241

Venango county described . 26

Table of exports .

. 271,273

Washington visits

Venango . 18

Tanks .

. 138

Washington's Jouri

lal . .18

Tanning .

. . 220

Water in wells

. . 115

Tax on refined oil •

. 288

Water veins passed

. . 116

Tax on crude oU •

. . 288

Water, proportion <

3f . . 131

Tax, income .

. . 288

Worthless compani

B8 . .248

Teams .

. 281

Wethee, Professor

. 212

Temper screw

. 105

Wells interfere ,

• 88, 133

Tempering bits

. 115

Well in Franklin ,

. 59

Testing wells .

. 130

Whale fishery

. . . 283

Testimony of the rocks
Texas Oil

. 250

Yagawannea •

. . 12

. 42

Zbit . . ,

. • 124

Thoaghts oondading

. 29S,295

THE END.

i

prpR ' A 1984

553.28 .E14 C.1

Petroleum: a history of the ol

StanfOfd University Librartes

If

III

3 6105 032 150 349